Within Her Shell
by ppiglette
Summary: A young woman, who has not yet accepted who she is, cannot step forward in life. A young man, who has loss his most valuable possession without being able to let go of his pride, can not either. sasusaku
1. Default Chapter

It was a minute room with one single window located in the living room. The floor was carpet and the walls were thin and white while the ceiling light was small and dim. In the center of the room stood a young woman in front of a mirror, observing the reflection before her.

Five long years have passed and Sakura had grown and bloomed into a beautiful young woman. During the past years, Sakura had worked under Tsunade and as a result gained both medical and ninja skills. Not only that, but during those years, Sakura had also gained wisdom. Sakura had gained wisdom about life, family, friends, and people in general. She did not, however, learn about herself. She had thought she did but in reality, she did not.

Like most days, Sakura stood in front her mirror and tried to come up with words that could describe herself because she found that she could barely describe who she was inside. Instead, the only things she could come up with were the words that were used by other people when they were asked to describe her. Sakura looked into the mirror and realised that the person staring back at her seemed oddly foreign. Sakura felt like it was all just an empty shell, looking back.

With her thoughts all tangled up, Sakura let out a weary sigh and snapped on several kunais underneath her skirt. She proceeded to clipping her medical pouch around her waist before leaving her small but comfortable apartment.

* * *

Sakura traveled quickly to the open fields near the forests in Konoha. This was where she trained and where she trained hard to forget about her doubts. Things like these, she was sure of.

She had barely begun when she felt a presence nearby. It was familiar and non-threatening so she decided to ignore it and continued to spar.

"Sakura," the voice obviously demanded her to stop training and give her full attention to the speaker. So reluctantly, she slowed her steps until she finally came to a complete halt.

"Hai?" Sakura answered, not bothering with politeness for she knew who it was. Sakura turned around to face a plump older woman with long blonde hair and flickering blue eyes. The older woman ignored the lack of politeness in Sakura's response and proceeded on by listing a few of the kunoichi's scheduled missions as well as giving Sakura new scrolls to study with.

After the discussion, the two females sat in silence and observed the grassy field laid out before them. There was no wind. The birds were quiet and everything was still. Tsunade was the first to break the silence.

"How are you?" Sakura turned and to look at her sensei's profile. The hokage was not looking at her, and after years of training with her, Sakura knew that her sensei was serious. About what, Sakura did not know yet. In addition, Sakura knew that whatever the Hokage had to say was important or else she would have sent someone to message Sakura instead.

"What is it?" Sakura asked instead of answering the question.

Tsunade blinked, faking confusion.

"What do you mean, what is it?"

Sakura sighed. "I know that its not just a plain and simple 'how are you', Tsunade."

Tsunade shook her head. "Sometimes, Sakura, I find you tend to search for things that aren't there."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, this time unsure of what the older woman wanted to teach her.

"Some people lack the ability to search for deeper meanings, to look further and beyond what is laid in front of them. But in your case Sakura, you are too distrustful. Sometimes, you should accept the obvious and simple. Do not always look for hidden meanings because there might not be any and you will find yourself disappointed."

"Isn't this all a bit too much just for a 'what is it?'" Sakura asked with annoyance.

Tsunade looked at Sakura with observing eyes. Forcing a fake smile, Tsunade said "You're right. Why don't we call it a day and go out for ramen?"

"Tsunade-san…weren't we supposed to-" Sakura started.

"The boy is waiting for you. If you don't come, who knows how long he'll complain to me," Tsunade said as she got up with slight difficulty. She sighed before smiling sheepishly, "Guess I'm getting a bit old, ne?"

_Naruto. Naruto…has always waited for me._

"So, what about it?" Tsunade asked while brushing the dirt off herself.

Sakura gave a reluctant nod. _Taking the morning off won't be too bad. I'll just train twice as hard later_.

* * *

"Sakura!" screamed the blonde ninja, his arms waving widely in the air. He had grown incredibly taller, a head taller than Sakura now. His whisker marks have almost faded, leaving a ridiculously handsome face. It was surprising, to think that such a annoying boy back then could have turned into an annoying yet somehow handsome ninja years later.

Sakura offered a small smile of politeness to greet her former team-mate. It has been a long time since she last saw Naruto, but even so, she did not feel that large excitement one would usually feel when seeing an old friend after a long period of separation. Instead, she felt as if Naruto was a stranger to her. Someone that she only knew so much about because of the stories other people have told her. Not because she has lived those experiences with him.

Naruto hugged her tightly and she did not object, although she did not return the hug. _When was the last time someone had embraced her so affectionately? _She could not remember. It almost felt odd to be in such close contact with another person when not on the battlefield.

Naruto's eyes looked at her questioningly but quickly disregarded her coldness. He turned to Tsunade, whose eyes did not leave Sakura's face until she felt Naruto looking at her.

"As you wanted Naruto, Sakura is here."

Naruto smiled widely, took Sakura's hand and childishly pulled her inside the ramen shop with Tsunade quietly following behind.

"Aren't you on a strict schedule, _Hokage-sama_?" Naruto asked, addressing to Tsunade. They had a little talk about the nickname he had given her when he was younger and decided that it would be better if he addressed her the same as the others would, and that was _Hokage-sama_. However, the boy still couldn't resist but say the title with a slight exaggeration and an emphasis on the sama.

The Godaime lifted her eyebrow at the younger ninja, threatening him to continue. Naruto blinked twice and nodded.

The dinner was quiet and relaxing. People were crowding around the streets now, filling up the once empty marketplace. Bargains were being yelled out and kids were running around energetically, pretending to be ninjas in action. Sakura's eyes followed the children and found her mind began to wander off into deeper thoughts.

"They are so naïve." Said Sakura, unaware that she was speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Eh?" Naruto stopped his babbling and turned around to face Sakura.

"Nani, Sakura?" Naruto asked her.

Sakura blinked. "Nothing," She replied dismissively.

All the while, Tsunade noticed the two younger ninja's similar personalities. Naruto seemed occupied in his own topics of the day while Sakura sat quietly in her own thoughts. Both are in their own world. Naruto was ignorant while Sakura was distant.

"Sakura." Tsunade spoke softly, bringing the girl back to reality. Sakura looked at Tsunade watchfully, indicating her attention. Naruto also sat quietly this time, giving his full attention span to Tsunade.

"What is it that you want, in life?" The older woman asked in a serious tone her eyes not moving away from Sakura's eyes, hoping to be able to read any clues on the girl's distant and cold behaviour.

"What do you mean?"

"I've noticed recently that you've gotten worse."

"…" Sakura stayed silent.

"Hokage-sama, what are you talking about?" Naruto piped up.

"Sakura…I know something has been nagging at the back of your mind for some time now. Whatever it is that you want, get it. I can't let you continue on like this."

"I'm fine, what are you talking about?"

"You are not fine. I suggest you go and take a month off. Journey from village to village. Discover yourself."

"Discover...myself?" Sakura repeated slowly for the idea seemed ludicrous. She was needed here in Konoha and ready to serve whatever the village needed.

"Ne, Hokage-sama…" prodded the confused Naruto. It was then that he realized that this conversation was more meant for Sakura than himself. Therefore, he stood up, bowed to Tsunade, gave Sakura a warm hug and excused himself while giving Sakura one last look before departing. Tsunade watched Naruto run off quickly and she couldn't help but give the boy credit for his growing maturity.

"Sakura, you haven't gotten over-"

"Shut up." Sakura immediately interrupted. She didn't want Tsunade to finish the sentence. Suddenly, she knew where this was going. Why was it that everyone kept bringing it up? Ino brought it up only a few days ago. Now Tsunade? She had managed to forget about him and now they bring him up again.

"Thanks for the meal." Sakura stood up and left abruptly after leaving a couple of bills on the table.

* * *

June 27th 2006

I've edited this chapter because when I reread it a few days ago, I found it very dull and most of the time I don't even make any sense. (I realized that I wrote this while I was very miserable, so everything came out in fragments oo)

I still kept the slow pace though because well, I want the new and grown Sakura to sink in slowly before I introduce you guys to other stuff. I'm going to slowly edit the chapters until I reach the latest chapter, 11. Then when I feel like it, I'll write up the final chapter (which I think would be very long) and complete this story once and for all.

-Pp


	2. chapter 2

Within Her Shell: Chapter 2

She had given it a lot of thought, of what Tsunade had said the day before. This morning, instead of the usual half an hour in front of the mirror, it was an hour. Sakura stood gazing at herself, her mind deeply absorbed.

Sakura searched the eyes of her mirror self. She pretended that she was looking at someone else, and tried to search as if she would to any other person but herself. She tried to find anything, anything that would give her the slightness hint of who she was. Anyone who met her now would think she was normal. But anyone who knew her _before _knew she wasn't.

"Is it true? Is it like what they say? That I've…" Sakura daren't say it out loud.

_Changed?_ She finished the sentence in thought instead of vocally. Somehow, it did not scare her as much, if she did not say it aloud. It was only recently that she had finally noticed that there was something wrong with her. Sakura had pondered about herself before, but now…it just hit her harder, harsher.

Sakura blinked. The decision came as suddenly as her doubt on herself did. Sakura will accept Tsunade's suggestion. To travel and journey to other villages.

* * *

When she arrived at the hokage office later that morning to inform her decision, she saw Tsunade sleeping on the table, with a note in her hand. Sakura had advanced to see that the note was addressed to her, Sakura.

'_Go on, no need to worry about the missions I've assigned you. I've found replacements."

* * *

_

The sky turned into a deep crimson red as the sun quickly began to set at the horizon. The trees were still and the wind silent. It seemed as if time has stopped and Sakura was the only one still in motion.

She moved from branch to branch in an automatic rhythm, her mind focused elsewhere. Sakura was too distracted to hear the rustling behind her.

A hand grabbed her from behind and she twisted around to stab the opponent but the man was prepared for her reaction. He blocked her left hand and disabled her right by piercing it with a kunai. With one hand injured and the other restrained by her opponent, Sakura proceeded into using her feet. As if it was a regular routine, the enemy easily blocked her kicks with his own legs and held it down onto the soft moist ground. Pinning her down, his face moved eagerly to her own to attempt a sloppy and perverted kiss.

"You're a rough one." His hoarse voice sneered into her ear.

Disgusted, Sakura spat at his face and summoned all her strength to push him off of her. Her reactions to his kiss must have surprised him for he was caught off guard when she hit him hard on the head with hers. Her good hand quickly grabbed at her back pouch to throw two senbon needles at her opponent. To make sure she would hit her enemy, she threw another weapon, this time a kunai. The kunai traveled at a certain speed that appeared to be nothing but a shadow so that when the enemy dodged the senbon needles, he was hit squarely on the chest with the concealed kunai.

The ninja gave out a low groan and collapse on the ground on his knees, one hand trying to pull the harsh weapon out.

Sakura could hear groups of other ninjas heading her way as she advanced towards the injured opponent. She should not waste her time to finish him of or it would be foolish. His allies were coming and it would not be wise to get into a fight with numerous ninjas in her current injury.

She was foolishly off guard, resulting in an unwanted enemy and an injured limb. Sakura had not wanted this to happen.

Sakura quickly headed towards the nearby village to seek safety, all the while holding her injured left hand in her right. It would be incredibly troublesome if she were to meet a more challenging opponent, which she knew she was sure to encounter. The guy she had just fought was nothing, and perhaps the friends that were coming before to back him up were nothing. But to engage in battle and lose her strength so unnecessarily was irrational. She was, after all, renowned medical ninja, one of the top five. Tsunade had warned about this over and over once she discovered that Sakura had great talent in the medical field.

"_Enemies would seek for your talent, forcing you to heal those who are not meant to live."_

Once Sakura knew that she had lost her enemies, she collapsed against a tree near a spring and proceeded into healing her wounded hand. The kunai had not pierced too deep because Sakura had jerked away so that the wound may remain shallow and easier to heal. She applied some medicine on her left hand and with her right, gathered a sufficient amount of chakra to quicken the healing process.

Sakura gave a small sigh and stood up, eyes glancing around her surrounding.

"I should get something to eat, it's evening already."

* * *

The place was filled with people, women crowding around the latest grocery market deals, children dashing excitedly in their pretend games and men enthusiastically telling their friends stories that featured themselves as the heroes. The smell of freshly cooked food was present and Sakura felt her tense body relax at the familiar scene laid out before her. It reminded her of Konoha, in the summer time where everyone was relaxed and happily living their lives.

Sakura stopped at a nearby ramen shop, deciding that it was best to eat something quick and warm. She noticed that the corner of the shop had two empty seats so she proceeded into sitting on one of them. Sakura gave her orders to the ramen shop owner and suddenlyshe felt her heart stop. _He's here._

His quiet footsteps were all too familiar to her, yet something was different. Sakura felt the uncertainty in his steps, which made her slightly bothered. She did not turn around, for she was not ready to face him, not yet.

The young man sat quietly next to her, unaware of her presence. Sakura turned to look beside her and she felt her breath seize as she saw his profile. His face had grown more mature, but still pale and refined. His black hair was somewhat longer than when she remembered and Sakura could tell his body was lean, even underneath that loose black shirt and beige shorts he wore. He was indeed handsome, if possible, even more than before. Sakura continued to observe him, this time she looked at his eyes. It struck her with surprise that they were not red with sharingan, but the dark black orbs he had before he discovered his bloodline limit. It surprised her even more how they seem to hold such loneliness and sadness that she instantly felt the pain pull at her chest mercilessly.

"Sasuke-kun." She murmured not even above a whisper.

His head jerked to the side to search for the source that had called his name.

Sakura was struck with even more confusion as she observed his face. Stern and serious, his face faced her directly, yet his eyes…seemed confused. Although they still held the cold and arrogant personality, they were vulnerable. His eyes were troubled. They did not hold certainty and knowledge, as before, instead they appeared to be…

That was when she felt the most pain, like something that had been eating her heart away as time passed suddenly decided to wretch her heart right out in one movement. His handsome eyes wandered helplessly back and forth, looking at her direction, but unseeing. Uchiha Sasuke was blind.


	3. chapter 3

Thanks for the enormous amount of reviews from the last chapter! Thank you for the beta offers, but I've found help already. Thanks anyways though, I really appreciated it! Your reviews brought me great pleasure btw, I was so happy with all those reviews! Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Within her Shell: chapter 3

Sakura wouldn't have mind if he no longer had any other part of his body, but his eyes. His eyes were part of his being. Whenever he fought, he always used those eyes, the gifted eyes he was born with. The Uchiha's bloodline flowed within him like a blazing fire, growing fiercer as he grew, but now, it was dimmed and soon to be completely fade from view. Whenever he talked to her, he would use those eyes to show his annoyance towards her bothersome attempts to win his heart. It was those eyes that told her his story.

She didn't need to ask him, didn't need a confirmation. Sakura had been a medical-nin long enough to distinguish the blind from the norm. It was easy, the way his eyes wander back and forth, unable to focus at one point. Even if one took that away, one would still see the doubt that seemed to scream out from those onyx orbs. Those eyes were the ones that had cast her into a spell of undying love. Ones that made it last even up to now, even if she has been hiding it all these years. It has emerged at the mere sight of him, sitting there right next to her in the ramen stand. Her love revived and awakened. Sakura's heart had quivered instantly when he had walked in, and it didn't seem to want to settle any time soon. The years of accumulated shells shook tremendously and threaten to collapse. Sakura wished to drown her feelings, to harden herself, but it was as if she was asking for the sky to remain blue, even when the sun was setting.

Sasuke stopped searching for the owner of the voice and resumed to the ramen bowl given to him by the owner only moments before. Sakura left hers untouched as she gazed at Sasuke.

Sasuke must have sense her stare for he tensed and turned once again in her direction. His eyes held a cold glare while the rest of his face showed minor hints of his irritation. He resumed yet again to his ramen but this time, quickening his speed to finish the meal earlier.

Once done, he stood up to leave while leaving an ungenerous tip on the table. The owner frowned at the rude gesture and looked over to Sakura who still hadn't touched her meal.

"Miss, you should eat it before your meal gets cold," suggested the owner.

Sakura saw Sasuke pause at the door but then disappeared out of the shop. Sakura continued to dwell her eyes at the place where she last saw him but then, as if snapped out of a dream, she turned back to the bartender and smiled.

"May I have this to go please?"

* * *

As soon as the owner wrapped the meal up, Sakura thanked him quickly and ran in Sasuke's direction.

_He couldn't be far… could he?_

Sakura increased her pace and her eyes darted around to try to locate the sightless ninja. It took her half a day to finally find him, deep within the forest, collapsed on the ground.

Panic stricken, she hurried over to his fallen body and saw that it hadn't been long since he collapsed. His skin was covered with sweat and his chest heaved up and down, panting a great deal.

The kunoichi glanced quickly at his neck and saw that the cursed seal she's loathed all her life was ablaze and burning red.

"You still use it, even if it means your body will one day erode…" The tears were coming but she held them back determinedly.

Suddenly he jerked awake and she withdrew from him as quickly as she could. Sasuke adjusted into an offense stance and she could see his seal already starting to glow.

"Who sent you here? Orochimaru?" His voice was filled with spite and fury. Like a beast cornered and confronted by threatening men, it bared its teeth and growled a hostile sound to preserve its existence. That was what she saw as she watched Sasuke.

"No one." She replied calmly.

Sasuke's face did not twitch at hearing a woman's voice but he did indicate his surprise subtly. His lips turned into an amused grin, his fear and anger forgotten. His grin made her shudder and wonder why she loved such a twisted man. _She had bad taste._

His stance changed and he seemed to have drop his guard as quickly as it was formed. Sakura felt anger tug at her when she realized he was underestimating her skills as soon as he found out she was a woman. His grin still unmoving, turned into a wider smirk and his eyes hinted something Sakura felt a sudden revolt to.

"Come, woman." His voice, firm and filled with disturbing delight.

When she hesitated, his grin grew even wider. He wanted something else from her. _Disgusting._

"I understand what you want, now come." Sasuke continued, his voice still holding the amusement she so detested.

"Sasuke, I'm not a cheap prostitute." She had dropped the prefix from her lack of respect towards Sasuke.

"Sakura." He recognized her.

"Hn."

"Looks like you've found me." _Why can't he just drop that stupid act of his?_

"You're blind." Sakura stated. Sasuke scowled.

"Why?" she asked evenly.

"Its none of your business." Sasuke snapped.

"Tell me." Sakura continued.

Sasuke did not reply but turned around to disappear but she stopped him easily by throwing a kunai in front of him. Sasuke let out an irritated growl and kicked the kunai. Sasuke was silent.

"I might be able to help you gain back your sight, but first I want to know what happened."

Sakura was greeted by nothing other than mere silence from the young man.

"Wouldn't it give you twice as much power as what you have now, to regain your eyesight?"

Sakura saw Sasuke's face change slightly but she was able to tell that her words were beginning to take effect. Her analyzing skills have improved. Good, she'll have to use that alot with this one.

"You've walked away from me when I was offering you love. You've rejected it. Fine. But I'm offering you power right now, knowing you, I don't understand why you will turn it away."

"I don't need help."

"Would you just open your god damn eyes, Sasuke, and look at yourself? You are handicapped! And because of what? Because you chose the wrong path!" Sakura screamed, fury suddenly grasping her under its control. The years of pain and loneliness erupted and morphed into anger.

"I'm blind remember?" his voice bitter and deadly calm.

"You know exactly what I mean, Sasuke. You wanted to seek power to avenge your clan right, that life long goal of yours? Well how are you going to defeat Itachi when you have no sight and he has his mangekyou? Never mind he has sight and you don't but he has the mangekyou! If you can answer me that, then I'll leave you alone."

"Don't you dare talk about my clan like that, as if its some stupid goal that isn't worth accomplishing!" His hands were clenched tightly into a ball, his knuckles growing white.

Sakura calmed and her expression soften. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

"What does it matter to you what happens to me, and whether or not I manage to avenge my clan?"

"You've left me for that goal so I want to at least see you complete it."

He's silent once again. She could tell that Sasuke was reflecting over his decision. She knew he would take the bait. He was too predictable. Completely obsessed with revenge and power.

Sakura advanced closer to him so that she was inches away from his face, yet he did not budge. She knew he could sense her near him, but he didn't seem to bother or just plainly ignore her proximity. He was evidently undecided and still thinking.

Sakura's index finger brushed his bangs from his sightless eyes and she saw him recoil at her touch. She smiled softly and turned around.

"Think about it. I'll find you tomorrow morning."

Just when she was about to leave, his arm grabbed hers.

"You don't need to. I've decided." Sakura smiled and with arms folded across her chest she waited.

"I'll let you…" he paused briefly, "help me."

* * *

Ahem. any ooc? please tell me, I tried my best but yeah, I'm not too good in finding mistakes in my own writing ; Btw, one of my betas asked when she read this chapter: the mangekyou of itachi wouldn't have any affect on Sasuke since hes blind. Note that even though he can't do tsukiyomi on Sasuke, his ability to read movements are two times better than what a normal sharingan would be able to read, and that would just mean that he is VERY VERY good at reading movements while Sasuke can't even see normal movements. Does that clarify any confusion? well I hope so. Review please! xxxx ppiglette.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm extremely sorry that I haven't updated for so long! Very sorry. Very . But as usual, it's the same apology, my life is way to busy. Just to let you guys know, after this one, the next update would be in about a month or so because I'm going on vacation (yay). Please enjoy this next chapter and tell me all about it xD Thanks again for your support, I appreciate them all! (this chapter is twice as long as the others, so I hope that makes up? XD)

* * *

Within Her Shell: chapter 4

_Beads of sweat rolled excessively off his face as he panted profusely. His body stood tensely, his mind and senses completely alert yet still filled with panic. His hands were extended on both of his sides, one carrying a kunai and the other empty. His legs were spread out evenly on the ground, attempting to gain as much balance as possible. Convenience was sought for too, in his stance. His position enabled him to be ready defend or attack, depending on his opponent's movement. Despite all his effort however, it was not enough._

_"Sasuke-kun, you are not concentrated today." Orochimaru's husky voice was so calm it sent several shivers up and down his spine._

_Orochimaru had been training him for only two weeks now, but Sasuke had already been overwhelmed with the high expectations of the sannin. At times, Kabuto would be teaching Sasuke, but most of the time, he had a one-on-one training with Orochimaru. He expected Sasuke to learn seven jutsus, most of them forbidden, everyday. He often got angry and held no comforting patience Sasuke was used to. He would be lucky if he could get back to his room without passing out at the end of his training. He would even be luckier if he were fully healed for the next morning's training. Orochimaru did not give him the luxury of having medic nins take care of Sasuke's wounds._

_Orochimaru appeared in front of Sasuke's dreadfully injured body and his hand stretched out to grip Sasuke's neck only to make Sasuke cringe as he felt the pressure of the legendary sannin's fingers increased. Sasuke remained immobile, knowing that it was useless to struggle. Struggling was due to one's inability to sustain pain, therefore weakness. If weakness is shown, it would only make Orochimaru angrier. Sasuke restrained his urge to cry out as Orochimaru's fingers dug even deeper and he could feel the evil chakra emitting from the fingers, burning his skin. Sasuke knew he wouldn't die, and that was what made it worse._

_Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the older man released his death grip and walked quietly away after murmuring, "Tomorrow, I expect more. At least 5 more learnt."_

_Sasuke managed to reach to his room before he collapsed onto his bed, his hands holding his badly injured neck. The skin stung like thousands of minuscule needles lodged into the sides of his neck and his vision was blurring again. Alone in his room, he allowed himself to cry out in agony as the pain continued and made his body numb. Sasuke let out a harsh cough as he examined his almost fatal wounds._

_"Uchiha, Itachi…" were his last words before Sasuke entered a series of considerably long chokes and then fell asleep, blood drenching his black clothing and mattress._

* * *

"Sasuke, remove your shirt. I'm going to do an overall checkup on your body." Sakura sat down crossed leg behind him and patted the ground before her to indicate him to sit.

"I don't need one." His face not looking at her as he began setting the fire and building their camp area.

They had briefly decided to travel together after Sakura told him that she knew someone who could help him gain back his sight. She noticed that each time she mentioned his sight, his eyebrows would furrow and his sightless eyes would narrow with a passionate hate that only made her wonder even more how he became blind.

"Sasuke." She repeated.

He looked up in her direction and gave her an irritated look.

"I said, I don't need a checkup." His fingers craftily continued his work without his eyesight. It would have taken her hours to build a camp area with her sight and it amazed her (though she did not show it in any way) how Sasuke would do so in a matter of minutes and without vision

She gave him a glare and scolded at him for his stubborn personality, forgetting he was blind for a brief moment. _Oh, right, he's blind._

Her heart almost stopped when Sasuke looked up once again with an irritated face. He must have sensed her glare. After a moment, he grudgingly nodded and took off his shirt.

"Thank you." Sakura said satisfied and received a low grunt before the ninja sat down in front of her.

Sakura suppressed the will to gasp at the sight of his scars. His back held an unbelievably bloody and solemn history of assassination and combating, something only older Anbu captains should have. At Sasuke's age of seventeen, it was almost taboo, in Sakura's mind. For awhile her eyes wandered from lower part of his back, to upwards and rested on the back of his neck. His once smooth neck was covered in deep bruises on top of older ones that she doubts she could heal it back. His neck held deep marks of what seem to be compressed chakra from another person. From the color it made on Sasuke's pale neck, she knew that while that chakra was being transmitted into the young Uchiha, the person's mind was filled with the intent to try an suffer Sasuke, without killing him. Sakura's eyes wandered away and examined Sasuke's back more broadly.

The last Uchiha's back was marred with scars that made it almost impossible to see his once smooth skin underneath. What surprised Sakura the most, however, was that most of the wounds were not even completely healed yet. Sasuke must have been used to fighting with these types of wounds and somehow avoided feeling the stinging burn most ninjas would. How he was still able to move as if he was healthy was beyond her understanding.

Sasuke made a gruff noise that made Sakura stopped staring at his back. She gathered chakra to her hands and held it there to let it slowly warm itself. Normally, she would have started healing right away, but for Sasuke, she decided to let him have the luxury of being healed with warm chakra (which used up a lot of her chakra and allowed the patient to feel slightly more pleasure during the process)

"Sasuke, even if most of your old wounds have healed, I can't let them stay like that. Its wrecking your immune system somehow. That's why the newer ones can't seem to fully heal themselves."

"Ie. Orochimaru had Kabuto do something to me so that my immune system would grow weaker. He said he would make me train in that condition and then have it restored to how it was before after all the training was complete."

Sakura focused her concentration in her hands, hoping to add more warmth and soothness to it. _Kabuto…he must have minimized Sasuke's ability to heal himself by cutting one of the pathways…_

"I left before Orochimaru had it restored." _So he left_, Sakura thought.The bitterness in his voice was strong and almost made Sakura flinch. _How can such a young ninja carry so much hate and still be able to_…Sakura stopped. She was about to say live a normal life, but Sasuke didn't lead a normal life. He lived a life filled with blood and darkness, none of which she had ever experienced before. Not like he had.

"Don't you feel pain when you move about with these wounds half healed?" Sakura asked, going back to the topic previously mentioned. Her hands moved slightly upwards for she was finished with the lower end. She saw his lean muscles relax and subconsciously enjoyed her soft soothing touches as she continued.

"Aa, Like I said, it's their purpose. They aren't supposed to fully heal." His voice was low and no longer held the usual harsh tone.

_He's getting more comfortable._

"They want to train you to be able to live in this condition, despite it being painful." Sakura concluded calmly. It is to be expected, he was, after all, under Orochimaru's training. With her index and middle finger, she pinpointed where Kabuto had stopped Sasuke's immune system from functioning properly and hit it hard with her chakra to reopen the point. Sasuke's body flinched for a brief second and then his body relaxed again.

Sakura could instantly feel herself begin to prespire. Opening and closing the immune system's pathways took alot of chakra, and providing Sasuke warm chakra took alot as well.

"I might be able to heal the new ones and reduce the older scars to mere blemishes…" Sakura said thoughtfully. _I still have enough..._

Sasuke didn't respond. His eyes were closed and his face looked a lot calmer then when she last saw him. It looked like a thousand weights were lifted off his shoulder. The corners of Sakura's mouth curled up into a small smile. It must have been long since Sasuke had his wounds healed.

When she was half way through, her breathing had already increased enormously and she decided that he would have to wait for the next day when her energy is fully restored after a night's rest.

"I will continue tomorrow."

"Hn."

* * *

The sun was already gone by then and Sakura collapsed backwards to lay on her back. Sasuke got up and walked a fair amount of distance and then settled against a dead tree stump where he closed his dark eyes in attempt to sleep and rest. Sakura knew he would be awake for awhile, he did not seem to be fully relaxed by his body posture.

As she watched Sasuke's pale face and raven hair discreetly, she couldn't help but let her mind wander off and started reflecting.

She had agreed with Tsunade's advice, to go out and discover herself and simply relax for a few months. It never occurred to her that she would walk right into the person who had caused her to be so imbalanced and lost. Even worse, all the years of building the walls around her seemed to have collapsed the instant she saw him. Sakura had agreed to heal him, even when he did not ask for her. She had offered to bring him to one of the most well known medic-nin and risk her reputation (she **was** after all, bringing one of Orochimaru's students to one of the most respected medic nin of their entire5 countries) for him…

_No, I will not give in to what I was years ago. I will not be that 12 year old weakling I once were just because of him. I would help him because I owe him my life, that is all. After this, we would be finally be equal and I would be free._

* * *

I'm not sure if its 4 countries? I totally forgot so please tell me if it is or not ; and I will edit it next time I update. Furthermore, I didn't have too much time to review and really edit this chapter so any mistakes please point out! If nothing makes sense, tell me right away. There was way too much explanation and reflection from Sakura and Sasuke… I hope I didn't just stray off course at times and not focus in a clear consisted way? I just wanted to make sure that you guys had a nice chapter to read before I go off for a month, even if it means that its not in perfect condition as I would like it to be. ; /edited august 24th 2005 


	5. Chapter 5

Well, here is the long awaited chapter. I must say I think it was worth the wait because when I looked at the word count, it was close to 4000 words. SOOOO.. yes. Thanks so much for the continuative support through your reviews!

I must remind you that this fic is rated M for a reason and the reason alone is in this chapter (yes I know..!) so please, if you are not of age or not matured enough please skip the very last section of this chapter…

If you are aren't mature enough for this type of thing, I don't know why you would be reading an M rated fic anyway but.. you know whatever.. XD;

Enjoy this chapter, that I've taken 2 weeks after I've came back from vacation to write. Please review as always XD

**Within Her Shell: chapter 5**

The sun was only beginning to rise when a dark silhouette could be made out, limping weakly on the horizonEast to the figure, was a tall hill with exquisite flora that draped over the grass like fancy curtains that hung around ancient windows. The flowers were vibrantly colored and each and every one of them was unique.

On that particular hill sat a small wooden cottage with only one single window on its side. There was a vague mist around the cottage and light smoke steamed out of the chimney in large distinct wisps.

Despite the heaven-like and peaceful scenery, the ninja that had appeared on the horizon brought along the stench of death and hate, clearly contradicting the environment surrounding him. He grunted and continued on his path towards the cottage on the hill, trailing noticeable blood marks on the soft earth. The blood continually dripped like heavy rain as the soil beneath it absorbed the blood quickly. When the figure reached the door, he did not need to make himself known for the door wrenched open to reveal an irritated old woman.

There, standing in front of the door was a woman in her late eighties, her eyebrows furrowed with anger. The woman had wrinkles that covered so much of her face one could barely distinguish her features at all, if one bothered trying, in this case the ninja couldn't care less in his state.

"Sumi-san?" The young man croaked before letting out groans of pain and collapsing on the ground.

The woman's face did not soften as she observed the fallen ninja before her. Her eyes wandered over what remained of the ninja's clothing and then observed the scars that decorated his body. Then, her eyes fell on the back of his left arm, where an infamous tattoo was imprinted on his rough skin.

* * *

Three days have passed since Sasuke's acceptance to journey with Sakura. She had managed to successfully and completely heal the many wounds on Sasuke's body. No longer were the wounds half healed due to the lack of white blood cells. Kabuto, she admitted, was and still is an impressive medic. It had taken her 2 full days to open all the gates and allow the white blood cells to flow once more.

At the beginning, Sakura had thought she was able to restore the flow but it turned out to be only temporary and his wounds reopened the following day.

Occasionally her twelve year old self would come back and she would the need to rush to him with open arms and cry onto his back until she could cry no longer. But now older and more matured, she knew that that was an impossible fantasy and that it was absolutely foolish to even have feelings for him.

Watching him for three days and see that he acted around her as if they've never known each other and that he's never betrayed anyone enraged her so much she couldn't help but act unpleasantly.

Sasuke seemed more and more edgy with his surroundings and he was grating on her last nerves. Sakura had lost a lot of chakra already because she had transferred chakra into his body for two full days. Now, drained she could barely walk and he gave no indication of stopping.

When she had asked to stop, he had whirled around irritatingly and cursed at her for being so weak. Sakura had argued with him immediately, weakness being a sensitive issue to her.

They have walked on in tensed silence and the anger had submerged for the time being but she knew that with even just a light flick, the fire would be lit and everything around it would burn.

Suddenly, there was a rustle behind them and a branch fell sharply onto the ground, caused by the squirrels atop of the two. Mistaken it for a potential ambush, Sasuke released two kunais, one blocking the squirrel's path and the other hitting the squirrel squarely on its breast.

Sakura watched the poor animal fall with a sickening thud and felt her blood boil ferociously.

"Sasuke, it was just a damn squirrel!" Sakura shot angrily.

The Uchiha spun around for a moment surprised at her outburst but quickly replaced it with anger. His eyes focused in her direction and for a second seemed to stare right into her eyes.

"You do **not** want to test my patience, Sakura!" Sasuke warned. His fists clenched tightly and shook somewhat from lack of control.

"Sasuke," She spoke, her voice firm and calm.

The dark haired ninja, who was ahead of her, stopped but did not turn back.

"You do not want to test my patience either." Sakura spoke in a clear and consist tone that indicated her seriousness.

"I can leave this very moment and you can forget about the cure for your sight. I would have done this for our old friendship but by the way you are treating me, I won't have to do this at all. Plus, I've done you a huge favor in healing your wounds and reopening your blood vessel's gates."

"I would ask you to reconsider what you've just said." Came the reply. Politeness from Sasuke was rare but his tone was as rude as the words were polite.

"I've thought about it and that's my conclusion. I should have nothing to do with you, missing nin of Konoha."

Before she could even blink, there was a swish of rough wind and she was pinned to a tree with Sasuke holding a kunai dangerously near her throat while their faces stood but inches apart.

Sakura could hear his breathing so closely to her ear. It was rugged, possibly from anger.

"You **will** bring me to my cure." Sasuke growled. Sakura did not wince.

Clouds suddenly emerged and the sun quickly disappeared from view as the clouds got thicker and darker. The air grew humid, as dragonflies slowly appeared, prophesizing the upcoming rain.

_I should've known that he would do this._

Sakura's emerald eyes looked defiantly into the young Uchiha's onyx eyes. Again, she saw that even if they seemed to be staring straight at her, they were sightless, lost, and vulnerable. He could not fool her.

She spat on his ivory face.

"The hell do you take me for, bastard." Sakura hissed, her temper rising. Any love she had for him left vanished that instant as she realized how she had made such a complete fool out of herself.

Sakura could see the anger start to boil and his eyes narrowed in fury. Letting out a shout, he slammed his fist directly beside Sakura's head while his other hand pressed the kunai harder against her smooth skin. Sakura did not even flinch when she felt the kunai finally cut her skin and felt her own hot blood trickle down.

"I will not give another warning, Sakura." Sasuke said, his voice deadly calm.

Sakura felt a single cold drop hit her forehead, and another on her lips.

"I'm not afraid of death. If I were, I would not have proposed to help you in the first place, no matter how much I sympathized for your condition." Sakura knew she had hit the nerve.

"I DO NOT NEED YOUR FUCKING SYMPATHY!" Sasuke yelled, his voice shaking tremendously as he dug the kunai deeper into her throat until she let out a yelp.

The rain that had been hanging heavily in the dark clouds now poured down in hard pierce-like motion, completely soaking the two ninjas. It marked the beginning of their battle.

Years of anger and sorrow she had been holding for Sasuke erupted from a secret chamber within her body as she released a large amount of poisoned smoke before disappearing and reappearing on a branch on top, hands already forming seals.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sasuke jumped up a nearby branch to avoid the poison smoke only to be shot by racing poison needles in which he dodged perfectly. Letting out a low murmur Sasuke traveled from branch to branch to reach Sakura. He charged with full force at Sakura, his hand containing the famous chidori.

Sakura's anger increased as she heard the shrieking of thousands of birds and saw the raging blue hue Sasuke's chakra gave off. Sakura continued her seals but was interrupted by a fire-covered shuriken. Using the opportunity to his advantage, Sasuke's chidori crashed down onto her but missed when she managed to dodge the attack in time. His other attacks were faster, however, much more faster than she had anticipated.

With little time to recuperate, all Sakura had time to do was dodge every blow by mere centimeters.

_All these years, and I'm still not good enough to beat him?_

Now her heart was thumping hard against her chest and she could hear the sounds it made on her ears like deafening drums. She could no longer hide the fear that had been secretly growing inside her since the moment their argument began. Her eyes were wide and alert, while her body was dodging each attack desperately trying to hold onto her dear life.

_I will NOT die now. Not by the hands of Sasuke. I would be the one who will kill him first. I will show everyone that I am no longer that little girl, that I am a full grown kunoichi. I should've done this when I had the chance, now I'm under major disadvantage._

Sakura screamed out frantically trying to hit him while dodging his attacks at the same time. Her strength was already giving in for she had lost part of her charka due to healing his wounds. _Take advantage of his sightless eyes,_ a voice told her.

Sakura dodged recklessly, her muscles already aching and her head growing heavier when a sudden plan formed inside her frantic mind. She was not sure if it would work but it was the only thing left. She was not prepared to fight in her condition to start with…

'Kawarimi no Jutsu!' Sakura murmured.

Sasuke's lips curled up slightly, obviously thinking this jutsu to be too low leveled, even for Sakura.

_Your arrogance, along with your now sightless eyes, will be your downfall._

Instantly, a log in a loud puff of smoke replaced Sakura. Appearing at a nearby branch, she was shocked to see a kunai flying fast at her. Caught by surprised, she was caught on her left thigh.

"Kuso!" she cursed under her breath as more kunais came flying at her.

Her vision distorted and the trees merged together, making her temporarily confused. Sakura tried to ignore the numb feeling on her left leg and continued her tactic. She repeatedly did the replacement technique as Sasuke's fire attacks flew at her.

_Its raining yet he can still manage to throw flaming shurikens at me. _

The rain that was still pouring down harshly made her injuries ache more than it needed to be. He had managed to hit her quite a few times for she had foolishly start off in her regular speed. With his acute hearing, he could hear exactly where she was and the plan would not work if she continued with that speed. She had wanted to cut down the need to use chakra but she had underestimated his sense of hearing. She was tempted to stop her process and discontinue her plan completely to have a few moments to heal herself and ease the numbing pain. However, Sakura knew better than to do that. She had no time.

It pained her to move so fast with her injured limbs and she knew she had very little chakra left. Again and again, she continued the replacement technique.

Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu! Sasuke murmured before letting out leaping crimson red flames. It did not even waver a bit as it entered the dark rainy sky and then leap at Sakura's feet.

"Ugh." She let out a groan as she hit a nearby tree.

When she began to think that her plan was not working in the least bit, the next attack missed her by an entire meter. Sakura felt a tiny wave of relief and looked down to observe the Uchiha on the ground. Sasuke's eyes, which were usually forced to stay focus to hide his vulnerability, now darted back and forth, seeking sight in every direction. Sasuke's hearing had finally begun to deceive him, for the loud crackling noises Sakura let out each time she replaced herself had begun to blend noisily together the moment she moved more rapidly.

Biting her lip, she replaced herself a couple of more times to add in to the blurring crackling and when she saw his body twirl around in confusion, she decided that it was time.

_Now!_ Sakura thought.

With a sudden leap, Sakura landed behind Sasuke. With a smooth movement, she quickly gathered chakra to her palm and forced her hand inside Sasuke's body, tearing up the nerves and internal organs within her reach. Her hand shook slightly but Sakura stopped it voluntarily and firmly held it there. She could feel Sasuke's body twitch and heard him gasp.

Hot tears suddenly burned her eyes and began sliding down her flushed cheeks as she pushed her hand further into him. As she felt each and every of his blood vessels explode she felt her heart doubled up in pain. _What's wrong with me!_

The tears wouldn't stop running as she finally withdrew her hand from his falling body. Her head ached and so did her limbs. The burning tears… they wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop them.

Sasuke's body fell with a heavy thump onto the wet ground and she couldn't bear look at his surprised face.

All it took was to deceive the only senses he had left and attack him with one single chakra blow that only medics could perform. She had not expected to be the one holding the victory. It could not even be called victory... to her it seemed as if she was the one that had lost...

_No. I should be happy. I should be happy I've gotten rid of him._

Standing there in the heavy rain, she could feel her heart break into thousands of pieces. Her eyes hurted and invisible hammers were hitting her head. The silent overflowing tears continued to meander their way down her red cheeks and nothing she thought of or did could stop them.

The vacant hole that had been growing slowly inside of her from five years ago began widening rapidly and the horrible truth struck her.

It was as if today was the day where everything was awakened inside of her. The anger and sorry she had buried for years erupted moments ago and led them into a life and death battle. The need to prove herself strong and loyal to Konoha. Now, it was love, her undying love for Sasuke…

"Sasuke…" she whispered shakily while her hands trembled as well.

"Sasuke, Sasuke!" She could barely see anything, her tears distorted her vision and she did not want to blink them away. This wasn't right, this wasn't how she was supposed to feel…

"SASUKE!" What she had been holding in the entire time she stood there, alone, came out in a mournful wail that continued until she could no longer cry out any longer. The sound was endless and the agony within it screamed in pain, continuing even when Sakura had lost breath.

All of a sudden, somebody appeared behind her and then with one swift movement, he had her pinned to the ground and her eyes widened in surprise. Her tears slowed down and her scream caught in her throat as she stared up at the Uchiha's pale face.

His face was incredibly near her and his dark black bangs brushed lightly against her flushed cheeks.

"Sasuke-kun…" her old self coming back once more, using that same honorific, being that same weak and defenseless girl. For that moment she did not care to overcome that weakness she has been trying to get rid off, for that one moment it did not matter._ Sasuke was alive. She had not murdered him._

Her eyes glanced over to where she thought it had been Sasuke, and saw that it was nothing but a pile of mud, slowly diluting from the rain. Defeated by the same jutsu I've tried to kill him with, she thought with a bitter smile.

It did not matter now that she would be the one who died, as long as he was the one that lived, she would be grateful. When she had driven her chakra filled palm into his body and felt her own hand wrench and killed his insides, she had felt as if something gripped her heart and began tearing it out of her own body.

That was when she realized that as much as she hated him, for never returning his feelings when she waited for him, for being such a bastard to all his comrades, for betraying her beloved village, she could never kill him. For when she **did** try to kill him, she knew that instant, she still loved him. No matter what she's said to herself ever since he's left. No matter what she's said to herself the moment she offered to help him gain back his sight. She, Haruno Sakura, could not kill him.

"One more second, and you would've killed me." Sasuke said hoarsely and that was when she felt hot blood drip on to her arm.

Her eyes traveled to where the large drop of blood had touched her and saw that it came from his back. Sakura realized that it was, in fact, him when she attacked him and not a clone. When he realized what was happening he must have then decided to do a

replacement technique at the last minute, right before she dipped her arm further in to do real damage.

The warm blood continued to drip onto her and her hands franctically reached for it in attempt to heal it but failed when she felt the pain grip her arm. That struck of pain finally reminded her that she was injured.

All the anger she had for him before was completely forgotten. Now, all of her love for him seemed to have come back and controlled her every movement. No, it was never away, she had just been hiding it. Now… after what she had almost done, she couldn't anymore. She loved him too much.

His anger too, she realized had faded and the shock must have driven the anger and coldness out of him for now. His face was not tense and his eyes no longer held that piercing glare. They were calmer but still in the state of shock that he could have died by her hands if he had not done that technique the last minute.

Now as the two breathed heavily against one another, the tension disappeared completely and a sudden calmness surrounded them both. To Sakura, time around them seemed to have stop and the only thing that seemed to be moving, was the rain that still continuously poured but now ever so silently.

"Then, I'm glad that that last second was spared." The words flowed freely out of her mouth, no longer constrained by the outer layer she's tried to build over the years.

"I thought I could kill you, but in the end, you are right Sasuke, I **am** weak. So, go right ahead and kill me. You've probably wanted to do so everyday anyway except you needed me to get you your cure." Sakura smiled sadly and winced slightly as the pain in her limbs strengthened.

The kunai that he held in his hand near her throat loosened, and she heard it drop profoundly onto the muddy ground.

"What makes you think I want to kill you, Sakura?"

"I-I thought you-" but she stopped mid-sentenced when he shook his head.

Sakura looked at his face bewilderedly.

She observed his pale face. The sky was now darker than ever and the rain had unmercifully rained harder. His wet black bangs, still dangling on her cheeks, made him look boyish, and she felt herself inwardly smile.

Before she knew what she was doing, Sakura raised her head higher and turned her jaw upwards so that her lips touched Sasuke's and gave him a long bruised kiss.

She expected him to recoil and leave but instead Sasuke returned the kiss awkwardly at first, then he deepened it.

Sakura felt the warmness of his lips against hers despite the cold rain that slipped between their lips occasionally and she felt her face heating up quickly. Sakura closed her eyes as she felt his hands suddenly find their place around her waist. At first his grip was loose but soon after a few more kisses it became firmer.

"Sakura…" he murmured and went in for another kiss. That was when the thought occurred to her. Probably, all these years, he's been seeking the love and warmth that hes been missing. And now that I've given him a sign of my old self…

It was then that Sakura realized that in all these three days, not once had she shown Sasuke any sign of her twelve-year-old self.

Her injured hands weakly encircled around his neck to bring him closer and she let out a feeble whimper as his tongue found its way inside her hot mouth. His wet tongue glided around inside of her and she opened her mouth delicately to let out a soft moan before she too shyly inserted her tongue inside Sasuke's mouth.

Meanwhile his arms encircled around her frail body and embraced her tightly before releasing his hold and letting his hands rest upon her hips once more.

Sakura heard him breath in her scent before breaking the long and breathless kiss. Slowly, Sasuke began giving her open-mouthed kisses down her neck and she felt herself arch her body upwards achingly at the burning sensation he gave her each time his lips met her cold and wet skin.

"Sasuke-kun…" She gasped as his hands touched her softly in her intimate areas. His hands began tugging at her top while his tongue licked her collar briefly before giving her another warm kiss between her breasts.

"I…" Sakura's mind was racing as well as her heart was as she felt the wet clothing slowly peel off her to expose her entire torso to the man that she had briefly fought a life and death battle with. She knew that she should stop, for he could just be using her, for temporary pleasure and just leave after he's got what he wanted. It was impossible to say that what he was doing was anymore than pure lust after days of tension…

Another part of her did not want it to stop, and unfortunately it was the greater part of her. She had always dreamed of this, of having this moment with Sasuke. Even when she had decided to push away her love for him, she still didn't want to lose herself with anyone else….

The rain was slowly coming to halt and the raindrops felt soft cool on her burning and naked skin and she felt him peel the remains of her clothing off. Soon his was off as well and she blindly gripped his back and pressed him against her for comfort and she felt him slowly slip into her.

Letting out a cry, Sakura dug her fingernails harder into Sasuke's back and she could feel the tears pushing against her exhausted eyes once more. Sasuke gave a surprised look and she knew what he was thinking even before he said,

"Sakura…you…" She had merely nodded and she could see the slight softening in his eyes as he continued. _I've saved myself for only you, Sasuke-kun._

Sakura squirmed underneath his heavy body and she felt the pain overwhelm her. She gratefully moaned when she realized that he was trying his best not to hurt her.

Each and every one of his touches was so blissful to her, which made the pain lessen and she kissed him weakly on the lips to thank him. She felt the pain subsided and felt him collapsed onto her side with one arm around her waist, holding her close.

Her heart thumped against her chest in a constant rhythm and somehow, that repeated rhythm made her feel extremely relaxed and content. Sakura let out a soft sigh before rolling over to enclose her arms around Sasuke. Her chest no longer holding that aching sadness she's had for years.

* * *

Damn longest hardest thing I wrote. I kept having to re read over it again and again and nothing seemed perfect. The flow wasn't nice so I was like ok I ll fix that. Then there wasn't enough description and arggg…

Anyways hope you enjoyed it. Stupid action scene was hard enough and I had to try to make some stupid tactic that had to sound smart for someone as intelligent as sakura ( was it ok?) then felt like including some sexy sex (first time,how was it? not too cheesy i hope?).

If it was too sudden then don't worry I'll try to smooth it out in the next chapter. I couldn't resist. I mean the pouring rain, the fighting, the tension.. can all be somehow fixed through sex. Hahah no just kidding but yes. REVIEW!

so many insecurities for this chapter... -;


	6. Chapter 6

He had entered and joined sound-nin, with pride and utmost conceitedness. As the days passed, he grew more and more aware of the real dark purpose behind it all, though he kept accepting it, as long as it drew him closer to his goal. So he had continue to run into the darkness, in hopes of finding the power he seeks

However, as time drew on, he was finally aware of the illusion Orochimaru had set before him. Sasuke would never gain enough power to defeat Itachi. His own consciousness would be gone before he could reach such a level. Gone because he would no longer exist, because it would be Orochimaru inside his body.

For that very reason, he decided to sneak away in the morning, before his early training. It was not carefully planned. Actually, it wasn't planned at all. It had come to him as sudden as the light that beams when one flicked on the light switch. This was uncharacteristic of him to do so, but he did anyway. Aware of the small time he had left to escape.

"Sasuke-kun." The hoarse and low voice made his entire body solidify. His feet were rooted to the ground. His mind was a tangle mess and his loud thumping heart deafened his ears. The fear that he had had for Orochimaru during his chuunin exam resurfaced again, making his whole body numb. It had always been there but it was only now, when he awoke from his illusion, when he realized the position he had put himself in that it came at full force. Just like back then.

"Now why is it that you wish to kill your fellow sound-nins? I know they are weak little things but, what is that has enraged you to do so?" Orochimaru was toying with him again. He knew it, but he couldn't help but feel the fear rise even more within him.

Sasuke did not turn around to face his master, neither did he reply to his master's question. Instead he continued to stand, immobile.

"Ah…" He heard the snake sannin approach him. "I see."

_Move!_ Sasuke screamed inside his mind. His body wouldn't obey. It couldn't.

"Well Sasuke-kun, at first I didn't like the idea proposed by Kabuto. I liked you too much to do that to you. But now, I think it would be best. You've become stubborn."

* * *

The morning air was misty and the sun was only beginning to rise while the birds slowly came out of their nests and began soaring dreamily and lightly into the foggy sky.

The hollow hole within Sakura's chest had filled slowly as the night drew on and now as she laid there next to the sleeping Uchiha genius, she felt peaceful, for once in quite a long time. She knew it would be gone sooner or later. Therefore, she tried to savour the peace she felt for as long as she could. Her cheek rested on his lean chest while her arms were wrapped comfortably around his torso.

"Sakura, who is it that will cure my eyes?" He was awake and spoke softly.

This was his morning greeting.

"She lives in the earth country, the hidden rock village. Sumi-san that is." She replied.

"Aa." His tone remained indifferent from yesterday, and the day before. It was what she had feared, although she did not feel as sad as she thought she would. Her chest did not fill up with hollow emptiness like those 5 years ago. It remained indifferent, like his tone, like him.

He silently sat up, snatching the clothes that laid messily on his side and began putting it on.

"I can wash it, if you are willing to wait." Sakura offered, suddenly a wife-like characteristic overcoming her.

"Ie, it is not necessary," was his reply.

* * *

Sakura was tired and the night before seemed to be nothing more then a dream. Forgotten and hidden away. Sasuke showed no sign of what he had done the night before and she, in turn, did the same.

It was a mistake. As she walked with much effort, she felt her eyes begin burning but she blinked and it was gone.

She hated it. How she loved him, felt betrayed and built a wall around her. Only to have that thin wall collapse yesterday when she thought she killed him. Then it was sex that she thought had more meaning than lust. But as it turned out, it was only that. What a way to end a fight. It was disgusting.

Her legs were tired and the Uchiha was relentlessly kept walking, amazingly not tired at all. It was already hard enough to walk as it is after…yesterday but they have been walking non-stop since the morning. They had not stop for lunch and it was nearing late evening. Sakura knew her chakra was completely depleted from yesterday and today and she knew that if an enemy attacked them, she would be easily killed.

When she felt a sprain in her ankle, she knew she was way over her limit. She stopped and collapsed on the ground, her face sweating and her once shiny pink hair, was dull colored and matted against her head.

Sasuke stopped walking the moment she collapsed and turned around. She saw that he too was tired although she knew he was a lot better off than she was.

"Sakura, get up." His voice was stern.

"We've been walking all day." She pointed out, though she knew what he would reply with.

"We're getting close."

"I know, that's why you can wait another day to get there." Sakura replied equally. What anger she had felt before was gone, for she didn't even have enough energy to stay angry. It was all too much for her, her body felt extremely heavy and being able to sit on the ground, not moving felt wonderful.

He gave her a glare, one that was still piercing enough for her to be slightly intimidated.

"I would continue if I could, you know that right?"

He looked at her silently and then did yet another thing she would have never thought he would do. He went over to her and bent down quietly. His hearing was impeccable for her had managed to know exactly where she was sitting on the ground and bent right in front of her so that she did not need to move much at all.

Sasuke had surprised her twice, yesterday and today. Life was telling her to stop assuming things.

Touched, she quietly thanked him( in which she received nothing more than a mere grunt) and got onto his back. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she laid her face onto his hard back and gratefully welcomed the relief of exhaustion.

At first his pace was slow but when he slowly began to realize that they were only a few hours away from their destinations, he picked up his pace and soon they were moving as fast as sound.

Sakura smiled inwardly to herself. He would finally be able to see again. Of course he was eager. As much as he would like to deny it, he was extremely eager.

* * *

"We're here." Sakura said softly to his ear when she saw the grand flourishing hill. The sky was completely dark yet the flowers and grass seemed to glow in a brilliant light.

The Uchiha genius was panting, exhausted from the hours of running and carrying Sakura. His body, she knew, had very little chakra left, and it was reasonable. Even if he were one with extreme stamina, two days or barely any sleep and continuous running would do that to even the strongest ninja.

Despite being so tired, she could feel his body shift slightly underneath her and she realized he wanted her off. Slightly embarrassed, she nodded and slid of his back.

The warmth of his body was gone and she felt mildly cold but readjusted to the difference only a few moments later. Sakura saw him stand straighter, no longer having to bear an extra body on his back and she felt guilty.

"Gomen ne, Sasuke-kun." She was a bother again, but this time she did not feel too guilty. It had been fun enough for her to ride on his back.

"It was necessary in order for us to reach our destination earlier."

"Hai."

The road leading up to the little cottage took a lot less time then she expected and before she knew it, they were both standing at the door.

Sakura raised her hand to the door and before she could even knock, the door opened to reveal an old stern looking woman.

"Haruno, Sakura?" The hoarse voice asked.

"Hai, Sumi-san! Its been a long time." Sakura replied enthusiastically and gave the woman a warm hug. The woman's stern face soften at the gesture but then her eyes traveled to the young man standing behind Sakura and her features darkened.

Sakura broke the hug and just when she was about to open her mouth to explain her visit, the old lady spoke first.

"Sakura, is that?"

The rose haired kunoichi turned her head back and looked at Sasuke, whos face was as stoic as ever.

"Hai, that is-"

"Uchiha, Sasuke."

Sumi-san's eyes narrowed and studied him carefully, noting the many scars on his arms, his toned body, and that he wore no forehead protector.

"Konoha's infamous traitor," deducted the old woman.

"What is he doing here?" Sumi-san asked sakura, her eyes never leaving Sasuke's pale ivory face.

The younger female didn't answer straightaway. She was hoping Sumi-san wouldn't be this way towards Sasuke.

"He is blind." Her elder stated.

Sakura glanced quickly at Sasuke and saw that although his face showed no emotions, his fists were curled into tight balls, his knuckles pure white and his stance was ready for an attack. He still held his pride high.

"I was hoping you could cure him, Sumi-san. You, being one of the best medic ninja in all the five countries."

"Why didn't you ask your sensei, Tsunade?"

"I don't think she would want to-"

"I don't either."

"Demo, onegai shimasu!" Sakura said with pleading eyes. The old lady looked once into the younger women's eyes and knew that she girl had fallen in love with the Uchiha traitor.

"He is not welcomed on my property. I will not heal him. Sakura, only you may stay and rest here for the night, he is to get off my land immediately."

* * *

Gomen! Much like the last few excuses, life has been going too fast for me to handle. I'm doing terrible in school and I'm trying to catch up on every subject as much as possible. I've actually written this chapter a month ago and I only needed to revise it but I didn't have time for that either. ;

Sorry for the long wait, but here is it . I hoped you enjoyed it. Any mistakes, please tell me. Review 3 please!


	7. Chapter 7

**Within Her Shell: Chapter 7**

"Please." Sakura's head bowed low, her heart beating fast.

The old woman shook her head, her forehead wrinkled even more.

"Sakura, I am tired of this. I will not deal with betrayers and murderers like him. Do you not understand?"

Sakura raised her head to look at the elderly woman.

"I do, but-" Sakura began once more but was immediately cut off.

"No, I don't think you understand." Sumi insisted.

"Demo, Sumi-san, aren't all ninjas murderers?"

There was an abrupt silence and the intensity hung heavily in the air.

"Tsunade has disappointed me, to raise such a medic." Sumi said at last, her grey eyes seem wary with age. With those as her last words, she turned and shut the door quietly behind her.

"Sumi-san…" Sakura whispered, her green eyes never leaving the wooden door where the famous medic once stood.

"Sakura." For a minute, she had almost forgotten that Sasuke was there with her.

"Step back." His right hand was now extended backwards, a blue light slowly flickering in his palm and the sound of thousands of birds gradually forming. Sakura looked at it for only a moment and immediately understood.

"No."

"Sakura, move."

"Sasuke, it would not work. She would not heal you even if you kill her."

"I've already warned you." He said coldly before disappearing and reappearing again inside the cabin to face the angered medic.

"You took longer than I thought." Sumi murmured before performing a series of quick seals and jumping high into the air and vanishing.

His sense of hearing, still not as sharp as he would like it to be, frustrated him. He turned his body silently around, his ears fully alert to track any movements but failed when he felt a single finger firmly hit him on the shoulder. Immediately after Sumi hit him on the shoulder, he felt his left arm quickly turn numb.

The next few attacks came in rapid series of touches, first on his neck, then his back, then on both his legs until he was rendered useless. All the while, Sumi hadnt even received a singleblow.

"You're a man that should never be forgiven. Betraying your friends, your village and betraying that girl's trust. Blinding Sakura with your godforsaken physical features and then using her as a way to gain power."

"I didn't ask for her help. She willingly offered it to me." Sasuke hissed. The young avenger comtemplated his current position. He was blind, the old lady was not. Sumi was alot more experienced while he did not. He had wasted last few moves carelessly and now his entire body was numb and in pain. _Tsk, I've been a fool._

Outside the cabin, the pink haired kunoichi lifted a small hand softly on the wooden door. Her emerald eyes studied the lines of age of the door and ran her delicate fingers up and down in a continuous motion. Her mind was heavy with thoughts and her lips quivered with uncertainty. Sakura found it hard to move her feet, feelingtorn between two things: staying or leaving.

_If I go in there to help him now,I would be going against all the thingsIve promised myself and believe in. IfI were to go in,I would be dragging Tsunade into her personal affairs_. So, with eyes that held heavy tears and a heart that weighed heavily in her chest, Sakura turned so that her back faced the door. _For once, I would be the one leaving you._

"Farewell." Sakura whispered as she gave one last look at the cabin door.

Beautiful yet sad tears slid down her face asshe jumped onto the nearby tree and began her way back home, Konoha.

* * *

It has been two months since her little journey to 'find herself'. When Tsunade asked her if she had succeeded in understanding herself, she had merely nodded and excuse herself quickly. The Hokage did not press on the subject.

Fortunately, no one asked her anything after that. Not even Naruto, possibly because he realized that there were things Sakura would tell him and things that she would forever keep secret.

"Naruto, what's the hurry?" Sakura called out, chasing the tall blonde.

Things were different now. She found herself gradually moving on, the name Sasuke remained hidden at the back of her mind. Occasionally, he would be brought up somehow in conversations that reminisced about the past, but eventually other things would bypass the topic. It was a lot easier to say his name out loud now. She used to have to force herself to remain unemotional but now she didn't even have to try. It became a habit, to dismiss his name when he is mentioned.

It was now spring, and Sakura came to enjoy the warm sun beaming down on her. The weather really did reflect her mood. Her mind was no longer perplexed nor was it sad with grief. She felt liberated, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Even when she breathed, it felt different.

"Sakura! Hurry up!" Naruto yelled at her as he eagerly moved through the crowd, heading towards the Hyuuga residence.

"What's the hurry anyway? We're only going to see Hinata…"Sakura couldn't help me tease.

The young and impatient blonde turned around, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"..Y-you know how the Hyuugas are, they hate tardiness." Naruto reasoned.

"Hinata isn't the type to…"

"Yeah but if I'm late, Neji-"

"Right."

They reached the Hyuuga house almost immediately after their last conversation and Sakura couldn't help but smile. She had traveled slowly on purpose and she had succeeded her goal. Naruto really liked Hinata. She had always been afraid that he was too dense to notice the shy Hyuuga heiress, but now it was confirmed.

"Hinata!" Naruto beamed as he rushed towards the dark haired young woman.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata stammered and widened her eyes when she caught herself in bear hug.

"C'mon, lets get some ramen! I'm starving!" Naruto exclaimed with excitement, his left hand ruffling the back of his blonde hair.

"Seriously, rushing all this way to meet Hinata to go eat ramen?" Sakura smirked.

Naruto pretended that he had not heard her while Hinata blushed a deep shade of crimson.

"Hinata-sama." A low but distinct voice interrupted the small reunion and Sakura looked up to see a pale eyed ninja with chestnut hair.

"Neji-san." Neji looked at her briefly and nodded, acknowledging her presence and then turned to Hinata.

"Hinata-sama, should I accompany you?"

"Neji! She'll be fine, I'll be with her." Naruto said a-matter-a-factually.

"I doubt." The Hyuuga genius said indifferently.

"I'll be f-fine, Neji-kun. As for what to tell Hiashi-sama…" Hinata paused.

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"I…I'll tell Hiashi-sama you were with me." Hinata said quickly.

Neji stared at her with a blank expression while Naruto gawked at her sudden rebellious personality.

Sakura merely smiled a knowing smile. People should get used to the idea that people can change.

"Neji-san, let Hinata go. Would you like to train with me instead?" Sakura suggested.

Neji paused before hesitatingly agree to her proposal with a brief nod. Sakura eyed Hinata quickly and saw that the young woman was lit up with joy, her eyes twinkling with gratitude.

Once the raven and blonde couple left, Sakura turned to the silent genius with a small smile.

"Well, knowing you're probably busy anyway, I'll leave." Sakura said shortly, before bowing to him slightly and turning her back to him to start walking down the concrete stairs.

"Of course. Good afternoon then, Haruno-san." The Hyuuga replied coolly.

Sakura kept the smile frozen on her face; she did not want him to know she was surprised at his response. Making up an excuse for Hinata to go on a date, Sakura had no real intention to carry out the task in the first place. To her surprise, the Hyuuga had known this in advance and in turn did not act the least bit surprise when she announced her true intentions. Despite knowing that, he had let Hinata go. How obscure.

* * *

The sleepy, crimson sun lazily peeked her head over the horizon, preparing for yet another long summer day. The morning sky lit up instantly as the sun began its daily routine while the few clouds in the sky begin dispersing from the rough wind.

It was a windy day, suitable for training. The temperature was mild and there would be occasional breezes to cool her if needed.

Snapping her gears shut and stuffing her pouch with newly bought kunais and senbons, Sakura quickly left her little apartment.

When she got to her destination, Sakura looked around to observe the familiar training ground. No longer was it dense with trees and bushes. Instead, the trees were marked with marred cravings from her kunais and senbon practices. The grass around the area died off from years of being stamped upon by Sakura's taijutsu practices. The dirt ground was not smooth from erosion but filled with gaps and bumps that were caused by her very own fists.

She was fairly proud actually, of how the area turned out to be. It was she, who did all these markings. She was the one that sliced the thick tree trunk to fist-sized pieces, uneven the usually smooth ground, covered the ground with kunais that pinned endless leaves to the ground with utmost accuracy. Sakura did it all, and she was proud of it.

"Training?" A deep voice softly questioned her. He was right behind her, his breath brushing against her slightly bare neck. His body heat radiated onto hers as she drew in a slow breath.


	8. Chapter 8

**Within Her Shell: Chapter 8**

Sakura turned around quickly, eyeing the brown-eyed ninja.

"Neji-san." Sakura greeted him with a slight nod of the head, which he returned. Whenever she found herself in his presence, she would always try her best to be polite. Reason being that he himself was so well disciplined and polite it was hard not to reciprocate the behavior.

"Sakura-san, would you care to spar with me?" Neji asked her. Sakura observed his expressionless face for any signs of sarcasm. He had made it clear at their last meeting that he had no intention of sparring with her then she did. Why did he want to now?

"Sure," Sakura replied though her eyebrows were still slightly arched.

"Tenten's at the hospital." Feeling that that was a satisfactory answer, he nodded to her to take her position.

"And?"

"I would not like to waste a day untrained."

The Hyuuga prodigy bent low, his eyes fully activated and his arms positioned in the famous Hyuuga stance.

"Let us commence." He said softly but distinctly.

"Try not to underestimate me." Sakura warned.

"I'll try not to." The genius answered coolly, though she could detect a sense of amusement in his tone. Slightly surprised that the genius would even be amused, she was caught off guard when he lunged toward her in a blunt and précised manner.

Her training with Lee had paid off for she was able to dodge his finger a spilt second before it was too late. Doing a flip in the air, she landed back on the ground with her arms stretched out to defend herself. He was fast and calculative in his movements but Sakura would defend and dodge herself equally. She had trained hard after all.

It upset her that back in the forest with Sasuke, she had appeared weaker then she really was. All the training she had done before that journey had gone down the drain. Even when they had fought in the rain, she could feel him holding back, and if not because he had yet to accustom to his lost sight. Sakura had known a few days following their encounter that he had only lost his sight recently. Therefore, he was not as powerful as he could've been, and yet she still loss to him. When she had managed to injure him, she had not felt a sense of pride or happiness but a sense of defeat and pain. Back then she had not noticed, but weeks later she realized that he had not taken her seriously enough. Forcing these thoughts to the back of her mind, she focused back onto the brown haired genius in front of her.

She punched the ground in an earth-shaking movement while letting out a loud cry. This caused her sparring partner to lose his balance momentarily and jump up into the air in order to land on a smoother ground. Sakura disappeared and reappeared underneath his body and with a smooth strike, she disabled the veins in the muscles of his left hand. He let out a groan and landed roughly on the ground.

Combining a series of taijutsu, she was almost successful in landing a blow on his shoulder when he unpredictably caught her foot with the same hand she had previously disabled. His right hand then proceeded to hit her chakra opening and she immediately felt the numbness in her shin.

His left arm isn't supposed to be- 

"One." Neji counted with a smirk. He's temporarily lost his concentration, Sakura noted.

Using his small victory as an advantage, she twisted herself so that he was thrown backwards and that was when she punched him solidly in the abdomen.

She fell back down on the ground, struggled quickly stand up, but failed. Her right leg was numb and she could barely stand sturdily. However, when she looked back at the prodigy, she saw that he too was injured and the effect on his left arm was finally beginning to take its affect on him. _A little late_, Sakura thought begrudgingly.

Moving towards him with great effort, she managed to collapse next to him while panting heavily. Neji seemed worn out as well and she could make out from the corner of her eye that he was doing all he could to restrain from crying out in pain as he held his injured left hand.

"I broke the veins in your bicep. The deoxygenated blood can't flow back to your lungs anymore so that's why you're experiencing difficulty breathing." Sakura explained with a tired smile.

The Hyuuga turned to her slowly and gave her a look of approval.

"It was efficient, our sparring. Thank you." With that, he stood back up flawlessly and began walking out of the field.

"Maybe, we should join forces one day." He suggested and Sakura could feel her face heat up with pride.

"Maybe." She replied softly and he disappeared. _Probably trying to act cool and unaffected. As if, he's probably heading towards the hospital to cure that left arm of his._

When she tried getting back up and saw that one of her legs was unable to support her, she cursed. Damn, I forgot to ask him to open my chakra gates again.

With a tired and slightly annoyed expression, she limped her way in the direction of the hospital.

* * *

He was drenched in blood, his body heaving heavily as it was hard to breathe with the number of gashes he had in his body. Sasuke's dark black bangs framed his pale face and his dark onyx eyes wide with alert. All was still pitch black to him, but his hearing had grown quite acute. _Not enough_, a small voice told him.

Forming a series of complicated seals, he plunged his fist into the ground with so much impact that the ground crumbled beneath him and then began rising upwards in fierce speed. The ground rose and condensed so that the entire area was filled with high and jagged walls of compact dirt. Mumbling the name of an ancient incantation Orochimaru had taught him, Sasuke bit his thumb and spread it quickly on one of the walls he had momentarily created.

The blood dried and then suddenly bursts of venomous snakes slid out of the top of the walls and towards his opponents. Quickly finishing his seals, he opened his mouth to let out leaping flames that meandered around the walls and surrounded the snakes.

His enemies gasped as they saw both of the jutsus combine and come into play before their eyes. Some tried to throw pathetic shurikens at the snakes but were rendered helpless when the snakes lept and bit their ankles. _One bite and they're dead_, Sasuke thought, his head turning so that his ear could focus on the source of their cries better.

_Two down, three more to go._ Sasuke thought as he heard two light thumps on the dirt ground.

Sasuke heard them try slashing desperately at the snakes and couldn't help but allow himself a small grin before coughing up blood.

If only he could play around with them some more and hear their bodies crumble pathetically in front of him in pools of blood. Again, he felt a jolt of pain on his chest and cursed as he realized that he was bleeding harshly.

_Tsk_, he must get to safety. His chakra was at its limit and he was severely wounded. Moving as swift as his body permitted him, he vanished into the forest of the Hidden Village of Leaf. Mid way during his fight with Sumi, he had realized that he was no match for the well-known medic and somehow he managed to escape narrowly. Not long after that event did he have to deal with his own sound nins chasing him. For days now, Orochimaru had sent several groups of sound-nins to recruit him and somehow, in the midst of it all, he found himself only 10 miles away from the gates of Konoha. He had no intention of entering Konoha, but his body would not allow him to travel for much longer, and he needed a place to quietly heal without being tracked down. Sasuke would have to find her.

With quivering hands, he formed another set of seals began to sink quickly into the muddy ground. As much as he hated Orochimaru, he did gain from being with that snake sannin. He had gain power, although at the cost of many other things. His body, for one, was to be Orochimaru's next capsule. Though that thought did not anger him as much as the lost of his treasured sharingan.

_I will never forgive him, _Sasuke thought bitterly as he felt the tip of his head being covered with ground. _I will never forgive him, he made me like this and forced me to escape from a fight I know I could've won._

* * *

"Sakura, here is this week's chapter. Read it. Learn it. Memorize it. I will test you in 3 days." Tsunade said sharply.

It has only been a few hours since her spar with Neji. She had gone to the hospital to get a medic to heal her wounds but unfortunately they weren't able to open the chakra gates on her leg. When Sakura asked if any of them had seen the silent prodigy, they had shook their heads.

Just when she had stepped out of the hospital building, Shizune appeared and told Sakura that Tsunade wanted to see her.

Now standing in front of Tsunade's desk, Sakura looked at the large pile of research papers and sighed. Not that she mind learning the new materials Tsunade gave her, it was more the fact that this was all she has been doing ever since she came back from her small journey.

Even though Tsunade never questioned what happened, Sakura was forbidden from signing up for missions. Instead, Sakura was to work at the hospital or occasionally visit the school to teach the students the basic first aid techniques.

Her heart almost stopped beating when she read the first article's title. "The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan." Without looking up at the grinning Tsunade, she began flipping madly through the pages, her eyes skimming quickly. Finally, after she shuffled through the pages at least four times, she glanced back up at her teacher.

"This is..?" The pink haired kunoichi questioned with widened eyes.

"These were found in a hidden room at the remains of the Uchiha property-" Tsunade began but stopped when she saw that Sakura had grabbed all the papers and books and dashed towards the exit of the Hokage building.

In a blur of pink and black, Sakura rushed into her apartment with incredible speed. It was as if something inside her snapped. Now that she was presented with so much information on the sharingan, she was unable to resist herself from examining the rare bloodline.

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews, as always you guys are so supportive and kind! I'm so touched I'm going to respond to all of you :D and trust me, this is my first time to ever reply! Lol

Luvabl3Pna1: well, here is Sasuke and the old lady :D lol I left a cliffhanger and I guess I shouldn't cause people got confused. I decided to cut it off there and like I just said early, I probably should've just continued it.

poornmiserable: you're not rude at all, in fact thanks very much! It wasn't supposed to be like that, while I edited I accidentally took a section off and that's why its like that. I didn't even notice and would have probably never noticed it if you didn't point it out. Thanks a lot :D and btw it's fixed XP

latoya: lol thank you and for future reference, Ill try my best not to do cliffies too much. But this one, as you can see I couldn't help it. Heheh. Be patient! Lol

shadow of the black abyss: you have no idea how much your review made me happy. Yes, actually I HAVE seen Zatoichi but it never crossed my mind to use some of that in my story! And I haven't seen Kiss of the Dragon but I DID do my research on it after you mentioned and yes I've decided that I would have Sasuke use that technique. It seems freaking cool! Or maybe not Sasuke… XD who knows. But yes I would use that, thanks a lot!

cutiepie777: Thank you for supporting me!

band geeks are hot: hehe thanks! Don't worry, next time if I do end up adding lime (which I doubt, cause I suck! Hehe) I'll make sure that even if you don't read it you won't miss out on the plot. Plus, I'll warn in advance so you won't have to read them ;)

BaKa BuRu- thanks, I hope you enjoyed this chapter

katory: here's your update :D thanks for reviewing.

Mystic Moon Empress: there you go, happy? Haha thanks for reviewing.

lilxangelxsweetz: nope not Sasuke but good try! Hehe thanks for reviewing and being so supportive!

Last comments: yes I know this is filled with action but hey, a least I've got the plot really rolling now. Well I hope so..? And I hope I cleared up thescene between Sasuke and Sumi?hehe REVIEW PLEASE. You know I love them! And thank god this time I updatedbefore a month came rolling ;;;


	9. Chapter 9

_Why didn't Tsunade find these earlier?_

Sakura sat on the wooden floor with her legs crossed, while one of her hands unconsciously stroked her pink tresses. Her apartment was dark and the only thing that lit the room was the dim moonlight coming from the window and an aged white candle that offered little light for her sore eyes.

She had been researching on the sharingan for an approximatesix hours now. The sun had gone down long ago and she wondered briefly if her own eyes would be damaged by the lack of proper lighting. _Everything is here._ The basis of the sharingan was all here, along with many small footnotes that helped her understand the sharingan with even more depth then anyone could possibly imagine.

It turned out that the three main differences between the sharingan and a normal eye were: the lens, the ciliary muscles and the chakra passages at the back of the retina. The lens in an Uchiha eye was made of a different material, though Sakura had not figured out the entire mystery behind the Uchiha lens. She did, however, discovered that the Uchihas were all born with this type of lens and those who developed the sharingan were those who were able to use the lens correctly. According to the journals, the lens allows an Uchiha member to see five times clearer and farther then the normal eye can. Because their ciliary muscles are able to tighten and angle the lens at exactly north and 87 degrees west, they are able to see objects move 10 nanoseconds before anyone else could.

Sakura had almost flipped to the chakra passages to research more on the third difference when she heard a knock on her door. _Whoever it is will definitely get it, _Sakura thought bitterly.

Sakura got up from her position and staggered as she struggled to stand up fully. Her chakra gates were still closed and no matter what she did, she couldn't reopen them. Limping slightly, she walked to the door, ready to slap the person the moment she saw them.

Low and behold, it was Hyuuga Neji.

"Good evening, Sakura-san."

"Sakura," she snapped. "There is a certain time when guests are not welcome, and this just happens to be that time."

"The nurses told me you were looking for me," Neji said with a smirk as his pale white orbs glanced briefly at her legs. Sakura had been trying to stand as straight as humanly possible but obviously failed somewhere because he would not wipe off that grin of his.

"Come in." Sakura mumbled and stepped aside for him to enter.

Feeling that it was no longer necessary to appear fine, Sakura allowed herself to limp back to where she was sitting before but this time with her legs outstretched.

Sakura looked up from her sitting position to see Neji glancing around with somewhat of an amused look on his face. Had she not been angry at him, she would have been shocked to see his face display an expression that did not involve the usual stoic look.

"I don't have all night," Sakura stated bluntly.

"Of course."

"Then hurry up," Sakura replied stubbornly, turning her back to him and returning to her pile of journals.

Before Sakura could react, she felt a light tap on her ankle and the relief came almost instantaneously.

Neji activated his Byakugan and then tapped a series of other places on her legs, each time making Sakura wince in surprise at the feeling. When he was done, he stood up to leave and Sakura got up as well.

"I can actually stand now," Sakura commented sarcastically.

"My humble apologies for not coming sooner. It was forgetful of me," Neji replied.

"…Aa.."

"May I ask what is it that you are so diligently researching on in such late of a night, Sakura-san?" Neji asked as his eyes fell on the pile of books near the dim candle.

"No need to be so polite, Neji-san. Sakura is fine," Sakura said and then turned to point at the journals. "Those are the findings of the infamous sharingan."

"Sharingan," Neji repeated softly, his eyes narrowing on the top-most book.

"Yes. Tsunade found them recently, I'm not sure where but they've proven themselves incredibly useful," Sakura said softly. "Almost everything on the mystery of the sharingan, the most prized bloodline of the elite Uchiha clan, in those pages."

There was a short pause. "Then I shall not distract you from your work. Good evening, Sakura-san."

"Sakura. Good evening," Sakura replied, absent-minded as she sat back down to return to her research.

"However," and the tone was so serious that Sakura had to look up from her book. "Know that he was a traitor and that, as a new friend, I suggest you forget him."

His voice was soft and gentle, and she knew he was only saying it for her benefit. Touched, she smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Neji-san."

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing noise in the living room making the pair stand up abruptly and dash towards the designated room.

There, dripping with dark red blood, stood Uchiha Sasuke. His face was drenched with sweat and dirt, his once handsome black hair was now matted to his head, and his eyes were a dull black.

"Sakura," the voice was deep as ever, though it was now hoarse and filled with pain. His eyes suddenly glimmered and began to glance around the room –possibly because he sensed a second presence-, though unseeing as usual.

Sakura did not move. _How had he managed to bypass the Konoha guards and villagers in his state?_

_Neji,_ Sakura suddenly remembered.

Her face twisted around to see Neji in full stance, ready to attack Sasuke, his own bloodline limit fully activated.

"Foolish traitor," Neji said in a low tone, his teeth gritted.

Sasuke's eyes darted around, trying to source Neji's voice but failed when he let his eyes rest on the object a few feet away from where Neji was standing.

_His eyes_… Neji focused his Byakugan and saw that the chakra channels stopped before reaching Sasuke's eyes and the pale eyed ninja tensed at the sudden discovery.

"Neji…" Sakura could only whisper. Her voice had practically abandoned her the moment she saw Sasuke's pained shadow.

As calmly as she could, she walked towards the Uchiha and wrapped her arms underneath his arms and aided him to walk to the nearby chair. Sasuke grunted painfully as she helped him sit.

"Sakura!" she heard Neji yell her name sternly, the honorific dropped. The Uchiha was wordless and she knew that in his state, he understood that he was leaving his life in her hands and if she chose to destroy it, so be it.

_I can't possibly be the one to end it. I've tried before and failed. I am a healer. I cannot kill. I love him. I cannot kill._

"Neji-san, if you've developed any sense of trust, please trust me that I will not betray Konoha." Sakura said as calmly as possible.

"You've already betrayed Konoha by stopping me from killing him, Sakura-san." The reply came quick, and she knew he had expected her reaction long before she could decide.

Sakura paused, "Then if you've found any respect for me, please respect my decision to keep this a secret."

Sakura looked up from her crouching position and observed the angry Hyuuga's face. He was scowling with deep resentment and she saw rage behind those usually stoic pale orbs. A part of her felt a certain pain she had felt only a long time ago and now she greeted it with bitterness.

"Neji-san… please," Sakura begged softly. She stood up quietly, her arms temporarily leaving those of Sasuke, and she rushed to the pale-orbed prodigy to embrace him gently.

The tears came out and it suddenly felt as if it was harder and harder to beg. Her hands tightened on Neji's chest and burying her face into him, she began to sob loudly.

"Please…" All the strength she had shown Neji in the past few days disappeared. It was as if the presence of Sasuke only brought her weakness.

She felt the warm and calloused hands of Neji surround her shaking hands and she looked up at him with teary emerald eyes.

"Tomorrow at dawn, I expect him to be gone," Neji's voice seemed strained and torn between anger and sorrow. Sakura, in her state, could not detect the lace of sorrow behind those words.

"Thank you… again."

"If, Sakura, he is not gone when I come, you would not be able to stop me next time." As he said this, his hands left hers and traveled to her shoulders to push her gently off of him. Without another word, he passed the half conscious Uchiha and disappeared.

* * *

A few hours later, Sakura was found with her head lying wearily on top of Sasuke's newly bandaged chest. The Uchiha had been awake for a few minutes now but he could not move in his state, especially with half of Sakura's weight on his chest like that.

He was laid so that his upper torso was slightly upright, allowing him to look down upon Sakura's tired figure. Her pink tresses were spread on the white sheets like Sakura petals, gentle and light. Sasuke tried once more to move but only managed to lift move his arm slightly. By doing so, his fingers accidentally brushed one of her pink strands. His face showed no expression while he studied the tiny lock of hair in his bruised hand. Sasuke's eyes soften as his thumb ran over the few tresses and before he knew it, he was caressing her hair, letting the silky hair slide between his fingers. He felt abnormally calm and he allowed his mind to relax and think in nothing in particular.

While she is asleep, it will not hurt to enjoy their moment together in silence. In truth, the night they had battled in the forest and what happened afterwards held more meaning to him than Sakura thought. The morning afterwards, however, Sasuke had realized that if he were to admit anything, it would be nowhere near what she wanted him to admit. He was and still is a missing-nin. It would be weak of him to willingly return to the village and if he were to tell her how much that night meant to him, it would only make things more difficult. For both of them.

He had held back, because he was arrogant in nature. But as the battle drew on, he began to focus more and before he knew it, he was fighting like he would fight any other enemy. She had gained his respect, though he would never say.

After the respect came so much more. _So much more…_

Sakura stirred suddenly and his hand stopped immediately. When she opened her weary emerald eyes, his face hardened and his hand dropped to his side, away from her pink tresses.

"Sasuke-kun, how are you feeling?" Sakura asked him softly, her voice still weak from a deep slumber.

"Better," he replied simply, suddenly raising his hand to touch her hair once more. Shocked by his intimate gesture, Sakura pulled away.

"What is it?" Her voice was shaky.

Sasuke observed her confused face with absolute silence, his face stoic as usual.

"Sakura…" he paused, "come closer."

Like a bewildered but curious child, Sakura inched closer. With a sudden strong grasp, he pulled her even closer so that the tips of their noses touched and before she could react, he caught her lips in his. Sakura caved in to the kiss, her body pressing against his bare but bandaged chest. Her heart raced and she unexpectedly felt lightheaded. Sakura's eyes were now heavy and half lidded as she felt the dark haired missing-nin continue to kiss her. _He is warm_, she thought when she felt both of his hands raised from her sides and gingerly held her wrists. The waves of pleasure rippled down her arched body and memories came flooding into her half conscious mind.

Her hand began traveling up his chest and then around his neck to reinforce their proximity. Sasuke broke the kiss temporarily to breathe but she pressed her lips back on his immediately, craving for more.

_I can't._

But how it felt **good** to have his lips on hers. He deepened the kiss once more while one of his hands reached up to cup her cheek.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura moaned and bent her head as he began dusting kisses along her jaw and down her slender neck.

_I can't._

His fingers began fumbling with her top.

"I can't!" Sakura screamed and pushed herself away from Sasuke.

"What do you think you're doing!" Her voice was higher pitched and she could tell her voice was going to crack in her upcoming sentence. "You can't just... come in, ask me to heal you after the way you've treated me then start doing _this!"_

"What was that bastard doing in your house so late?"

"Nothing!"

"You can't trust that man."

"We didn't do anything, " Sakura began defending herself, suddenly scared at the conclusion he was going to make. Then, realising that she had no need to be guilty, she glared back at him and said, "Why would that matter?"

The Uchiha paused. "You're right, it doesn't."

"He was here to heal me."

"Aren't you a healer, are you so weak that you can't heal yourself?"

"Yes, maybe I am weak. I've been blind to fall for you for so long. I should've seen what was before my eyes, that Neji is an absolute gentleman!" Sakura screamed, her hands shaking. "Its an endless cycle that you play with me isn't it? You treat me like you do and then come to me asking me for favors and using me! I've had enough!"

Sasukes stoic face turned into an angry grimace. "He does not deserve you."

"I'm surprised, I thought I was _weak_. Then, Sasuke, tell me who deserves me?" Her voice was shrill.

"Not him." Sasuke replied bitterly.

"Then who? Naruto?" Sakura asked her eyes starting to tear once more."Yeah, you know what, maybe Naru-"

Sasuke slammed his hand on the side table, his eyes filled with fury.

"No one deserves you!" He bellowed, his fist noticably bleeding now.

Sakura stared at him, her tears blurring her vision.

"...What do you mean?" Sakura asked, choking on her own overflowing tears.

"Like I said, no one deserves you."

* * *

Oh shit. Sorry for the extremely long wait. So much work as usual and I kept procastinating this chapter when I DID have time because I wanted to make it longer. In the end I couldn't add it all together so you'll just have to wait till the next chapter. Please review! As always I love critism, feedback, anything. See you next time!

BTW there is some sasusaku fluff for you, just for the lack of withdrawl. And for those nejisaku fans. :D


	10. Chapter 10

For once she was glad that he was blind. Maybe he didn't know she was crying. _Right_, she thought bitterly.

What did he mean when he said _"no one deserves you"?_ The way he said it seemed as if he was contradicting himself. His tone set to be the exact opposite of his words. Sakura wanted to believe in them. _But since when can you trust the words of an s-class criminal, right?_

"Sasuke, you've managed to make more work for me. You hands bleeding," Sakura said, opting to lighten the atmosphere. He only grunted in return and so she turned to leave the room to get him bandages. Her supplies were running low and she was glad that she had fixed his immune system those months ago in the forest.

When she came back to the room, she saw Sasuke trying to walk and because he was blind, he tripped over her pile of research books and let out a painful groan.

"You're blind you know, if you forgot. Plus you are in no condition to even leave the bed, never mind walking," Sakura said a-matter-of-factly. At least my composure is better, Sakura thought to herself.

"What is this shit?" Sasuke hissed as he struggled to get back up. Sakura bent forward to help but his face showed that he still held his pride high and therefore she decided against aiding him.

"Research books," Sakura said quickly, not wanting to elaborate any further. Sasuke would probably destroy them all to protect his clan's secrets. It was understandable, but it will not help her or him in anyway. It would end up only helping the elite Uchiha clan's pride.

"Research on the sharingan?" _Right on the dot._

Sakura paused, "Yes." There was no point in denying it or hiding it any longer. To her surprise, he did not stand up and begin destroying them.

Sasuke didn't even seem to want to answer or voice his thoughts; instead he turned around and closed his eyes. Glad that she did not have to explain the reasoning behind her research, Sakura walked towards the pile of books and reorganized them so that they were neatly stacked. She was tired, her eyes still ached and her head was drumming. Despite all that, she knew she could not sleep until her plan was complete.

Sakura heard Sasuke shuffling on the bed, obviously not at rest. However, she decided to ignore it and continued with her research, her eyebrows furrowed in forced concentration. She found herself leaning closer and did not realize that it was because it was due to the fading light.

The candle, now almost completely melted, provided little light and Sakura squinted in desperation. Her ceiling light had burnt out several weeks ago but she hadn't had time to change it. Instead, she decided that candlelight would do until she got around to getting it fixed.

Finally, the candle went out right when Sakura reached the most important paragraph on the chakra passages. Frustrated, Sakura made her way around the room, in attempt to find an extra bulb. She needed to finish the research tonight.

Her noisy rumblings must have roused Sasuke from rest for he got up suddenly and growled at her.

"Sakura, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find a light bulb," Sakura replied coolly.

Sasuke gave her a confused look but then scowled. Sakura merely replied with a simple hai, as she felt calmer and more composed than a few hours before, and continued her search for a new light bulb. Busying herself with work, no matter what kind of work, always helped her calm down and become more composed. Despite the lack of light, she managed to find the extra bulb and within moments, the ceiling light was on once more.

Sakura turned to tell Sasuke that he could go back to sleep but the moment she turned, she noticed something that made her heart skip a beat.

_His eyes_. As soon as she had the light back on, she saw that his pupil, shrank in size.

Rushing over, she sat in front of Sasuke and using her fingers, parted his eyelids so that she could examine the iris and pupil more carefully.

"Sakura, what are you doing-"

But Sakura cut him off when she raised her finger up to his mouth and then tilted his head upwards so that the ceiling light could shine directly into his eyes. She pursed her lips as her mind began to race in excitement.

"Sasuke, you see shadows don't you?"

Surprised that she knew, the Uchiha nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I only see shadows sometimes."

"So you thought it wasn't worth mentioning?" Sakura asked quickly.

"Aa…"

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out in frustration as she jumped off the bed and flipped through her research. If his eyes weren't completely damaged, then she could regenerate all of the cells and then using her new sharingan research, restore not only his sight but also his bloodline limit. She had to get started right away. Sakura looked at the time, it was 4 am. _Neji. Neji said he would come back at sunrise._

Within moments, all her materials were laid out on the night table and Sakura instructed Sasuke to lie down. Then suddenly remembering that she was indeed missing something, Sakura bolted upright and disappeared into thin air.

A few minutes later, Sakura appeared once more with a jar and several glass slides. Carefully removing the top glass layer, she placed a single finger at the center and spread her chakra onto the microscopic stem cells. Once she was done, she repeated the process to every other slide with as much precision as she could.

Her heart still pounding with excitement, she drew chakra to her hands once more and hovered it on top of Sasuke's opened eyes.

"Don't close your eyes until I tell you to, " Sakura instructed.

Sakura almost flinched with surprise when she suddenly felt Sasuke's right hand reach for her and touched her lap. _He's afraid_, she realized. Touched at his sudden vulnerability, she stopped for a moment and held his hand in her own.

"It'll be long and painful, but even if it doesn't succeed, your sight will still be restored during the process. To tell you the truth, this would be the first time I've tried such an operation…" Sakura trailed off.

"I trust you," Sasuke said with a calm voice. "Arigatou, Sakura."

* * *

A few hours later, Sakura felt her chakra was depleting and her vision was blurring from lack of rest. She knew she could not continue like this or it will risk injuring Sasuke. A medic-nin cannot perform when he or she is not healthy.

Her fingers were numb and she had noticed that they had started to shake a few moments ago. Sensing her sudden hesitation, Sasuke spoke.

"Sakura, rest. I can tell your body is at its limit."

"Its not at its limit!" Sakura snapped. Though she knew she was lying to him and herself, she could not stand that it was yet him again that reminded her of how weak her body was.

"Sakura, I don't want you to strain your body."

"I'm doing fine. Just let me continue, I just need to…" Sakura started but then felt a huge migraine hit her and her words faltered almost immediately. Filled with fatigue, she allowed herself to lie down next to Sasuke and closed her eyes. Just as her head hit the pillow, she felt her body suddenly become heavy and the pleasure of resting was overwhelming.

"Maybe I just need a few minutes…" Sakura said softly, her breathing calming down.

"Sakura, give me your hand," Sasuke suddenly said, his eyes now closed.

Wordlessly, with her eyes still closed, Sakura stretched her hand out in his direction. Taking her hand gently, Sasuke felt his way to the tip of her fingers and then to her utmost surprise, she felt his warm chakra flow into her fingertips. It was so familiar, his chakra, and there was something so intimate about the situation that Sakura found herself holding her breath. She did not want it to stop, as the feeling was luxurious not only to her throbbing fingers but also to her heart. It was now racing with a sudden… hope that he might be giving her his affection.

"Its so warm…" Sakura whispered. She opened her eyes and turned to look at Sasuke who seemed oddly concentrated on transferring his chakra to her worn out hand.

"Give me your other hand."

"Sasuke, when did you learn how to-" Sakura began but was interrupted.

"Kabuto taught me some basic. In case of an emergency, I should be able to heal myself," Sasuke explained as she gave him her left hand.

Again, the warm tingling feeling calmed her and soothed her body. Sakura felt her mind begin to drift when suddenly he withdrew his hands from her and her eyes opened in protest. Instead of telling her to continue the procedure like she thought he would, he encircled his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him in a tight embrace.

"Its ok, Sakura. I know I can't be healed. Why are you trying to hard?" His words brushed against her hair and she shivered at the intimacy. She did not question it. She didn't want to figure out what he was thinking anymore. Sakura was tired of guessing. Now exhausted, she wanted to accept everything and just let things come as they are. No more questioning. Just accept…

"But I **can** heal you…" Sakura murmured as she felt his hand run through her pink tresses again, much like he did before.

"What is it that you want from me, Sasuke?"

Taken back at her question, for a moment he did not respond but instead held her even closer.

"Sakura, those words you've said that night," and here Sakura knew exactly when he was referring to, "meant a lot to me."

"Sure, our first meeting was one happy reunion," Sakura couldn't help but comment sarcastically as she remembered how Sasuke mistook her for a cheap prostitute. Despite her words, she pressed her hand against his bandaged chest to check if his injuries were healed. They were.

Sasuke did not reply to her comment but kissed her forehead instead.

"Sakura, though you might not know it, I appreciate all of what you've done for me. I'll remember them always."

"You're welcome," Sakura said softly as she felt her eyes grow warm with upcoming tears.

"As for the incident in the forest, I apologize. I shouldn't have been the one to rob you of your virginity." His choice of words there shocked her and she pulled away from his embrace.

"Lets continue the procedure," Sakura suddenly said. It was all so surreal to her and the things Sasuke were saying did not make any sense. Sasuke too, must have realized the way he was sounding and nodded without complaint.

* * *

Feeling better than before, thanks to Sasuke's transferred chakra, Sakura began working once more. Earlier on, she had managed to restore his lens to full capacity as well as healing his once deteriorating retina by using the stem cells from the glass slides. Stem cells were cells that were considered neutral and have no developed into specific yet. Using them as a basis, she altered them so that they formed into nerve cells, muscles cells and the like as a way to regenerate Sasuke's lens and retina.

His chakra passages near the optic nerve were completely destroyed and those were the hardest to heal. Closing her eyes, she allowed her own chakra to trace their way to his nearest chakra passages. It took awhile but once she found it, she was lit with joy.

"Sasuke, can you feel where my chakra is?"

"Aa."

"You realize that our chakras are mixing right now?" Sakura asked. The Uchiha genius indicated a yes with a simple nod. " I need you to try and push your chakra in the direction of mine. While you do that, I will form chakra cells around yours to form a new vessel since your originals have been completely destroyed. Do you understand?"

Again, he nodded and immediately Sakura felt his chakra leak into hers. It was slow at first but soon, his chakra was pushing hard and she quickly began to retreat her own chakra, guiding them back to his eyes where they once were. Once his chakra came close to the back of his eyes, they split in two so that each end connected with an eye. Her heart beating as fast as ever, she spoke almost a bit too loudly to give him further instructions.

"Great, now we'll repeat the process until we have enough chakra vessels that lead to your eyes as before."

He obeyed her in silence, and to her amazement, the next few times came in rapidly until three more were established. Sakura knew from her medic training that a normal person had five chakra passages connecting from each eye to the rest of the chakra system. From what she read earlier in the Uchiha research, an Uchiha had ten, double that of the norm. They had managed four. They needed only one more vessel so that his sight can be restored, and then five more to allow him to use his Sharingan.

When they've reached the seventh vessel, Sakura felt the sun rays come in through the window and she idly enjoyed the warmth on her back. Suddenly, her mind began to race as she realized that the sun had begun to rise which reminded her of Neji's words.

_At sunrise, he is to leave Konoha._

"Just three more," Sakura said with a strained voice.

Her chakra was almost rendered to nothing but thankfully Sasuke had a lot left, probably from his rest earlier on when she was doing research. Not only that, but he was now familiar with the direction he had to follow and therefore she did not need to use her chakra to guide his to his eyes anymore. A genius was a genius, even if he was blind.

Just after that thought came a sudden realization of joy that would have not felt realistic had it been months before. If Sasuke opened his eyes now, he would be able to see perfectly. They could not afford that however for they had to finish before Neji came.

The eighth came into place. It was now harder to concentrate, as she knew that their time was coming to an end and yet she could not rush the work or else it would result in an unsuccessful operation. Sasuke must have sensed it too as he worked faster.

In came the ninth.

There was a loud knocking.

Sakura ignored it as she transferred the last of her chakra into Sasuke's eyes. She had run out of the soldier pills Chouji had given her and at that very instant, she wished she had asked for more. But now, there wasn't even time for regrets.

She heard the door crash down and the rapid footsteps grow near. Her chakra now completely depleted, she could only hold onto Sasuke's hands in encouragement as his brows furrowed with concentration. It was up to him now.

The footsteps came nearer.

Sakura stood up weakly as her hands left Sasuke's own warm ones. She felt light headed and her knees already begin to give way.

Sakura looked at her bedroom door with a feeling of dread as the door slowly swung open and she came face to face with Hyuuga Neji.

* * *

Chapter mildly revised/ rewritten. Reviews are appreciated. -Pp 


	11. Chapter 11

"Neji!" Sakura exclaimed.

The pale eyed ninja glanced quickly behind her frail body and his eyes narrowed when he saw the dark raven haired prodigy on her bed.

"Sakura, you leave me no choice," he said before he withdrew a kunai from the back of his pouch.

"Neji, wait, I-" Sakura began but Neji interrupted her immediately.

"Sakura, I've given you time, just like you've asked and you've chosen the wrong path. This is not only for Konoha but also for you."

Without another word, Neji disappeared and reappeared behind her to tap her unconscious. However, Sakura was prepared and therefore disappeared before he could render her paralyzed.

"Tsk." Sakura knew that she was in no shape for battling. Her chakra was completely depleted and so Sakura knew that her only choice was taijutsu. Then again, close range fighting with Neji was a foolish since he was renown for his amazing genjutsu and taijutsu. In addition, because Sakura had been running on soldier pills the entire night and lacked sleep, she wasn't sure how long she could hold out for. Regardless of his taijutsu skills.

Sakura grabbed the poisoned senbons from her holster anyway and threw it in Neji's direction. Neji deflected them easily and instead turned to attack Sasuke, who was still in the process of finishing the surgical procedure.

"I'm not done yet!" Sakura screamed, furious that Neji had turned his back on her. Managing to catch his attention, she threw more senbons and she disappeared only to reappear again behind Neji as he tried to deflect the thrown senbons. Sakura took this chance to punch the Hyuuga prodigy but failed when he caught her wrist and wrung her around.

Sakura forcefully spun despite his hold and attempted to kick his shoulder but he easily caught it with his other hand. With one swift movement, his fingers tapped all the major chakra points on her legs and she felt the familiar numbing sensation flow into her legs.

"Useless, you're drained of chakra." Neji told her, his eyes not even activated yet.

"I can still fight." Sakura replied, determination in her eyes. She attacked again and again, her willpower unwavering, despite the obvious difference of power. Just as long as she can distract him from Sasuke, that was all she thought about. Her relentless efforts must have angered him because he suddenly ran towards her to attack her instead of just dodging like he did before.

"Traitor," Neji hissed as he plunged his hand into Sakura's abdomen.

Sakura's eyes widened as she let out a strained cough. Tears came out, due to the pain and Neji withdrew his hand, leaving her to crumple to the ground.

Neji was panting heavily, not from the brief fight with Sakura, but from desperate anger. His eyes were filled with hurt betrayal and his scowl deepened.

Neji raised his hand upwards but before Neji could strike Sakura once more, he was struck unexpectedly with a blow himself, also in the stomach. Neji was thrown backwards and when he recuperated, he looked up to see the dark haired Uchiha glaring angrily at him.

"You'll regret what you've just done to her, Hyuuga." Sasuke growled, while his heart thumped madly against his chest. He could see so clearly, and it had taken him the time it took for Neji to punch Sakura to realize that he could see again. Her scream was all it took to trigger his last chakra mold into completion. After seeing blackness for so long, Sasuke struggled to look strong and un-wavered by his newfound sight as he stood facing Neji.

His back was to Sakura and before he could attack Neji, he felt her familiar arms wrap around his lean torso to stop him from advancing. Her soft and warm chest pressed weakly agains this back and he tensed at the sudden contact. The feel of another human being so close was forgotten to him, the only time he's been this close to anyone since he's left Konoha was the snake sannin. That thought itself brought him chills down his spine and he forced himself to remain unaffected by the memory of his former teacher. Now as he stood there, being hugged by the pink haired kunoichi, the feeling was deja vu and he understood why she was holding him back. Her main priority was to get him out of here before others arrive.

"Sakura, you've done enough," Sasuke said softly, still glaring at the stunned Hyuuga.

"Ie. I need you to leave. Before the others get here." Sakura replied, her voice cracking.

"Sakura-" Sasuke began but she interrupted him immediately.

"Sasuke. Please."

Sasuke hesitated as he did not want to leave her alone with Neji but seeing how the least he could do was listen to her for once, he decided to accept her request. He would return later. At night fall.

Knowing that looking at her would only make it harder to leave, he raised his hand to hers to give it a light squeeze before disappearing into thin air. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment as the adrenaline slowly faded away. Sasuke was gone, and for once, she was glad. She did not want him to be caught, regardless of how much she wanted him to stay.

Neji, who stood frozen the minute the Uchiha had moved from the bed to Sakura, now blinked and relaxed slightly. His eyes were unreadable and his lips drawn in a tight line.

"Naruto and the rest will find him, Sakura. He deserved to be sightless."

"I hope you'll take what you've just said back," Sakura tried to retaliate weakly before stumbling to the ground. Her senses went dull and her sight began blurring, making Neji look nothing more than a simple grey silhouette. Every part of her body was throbbing and she couldn't believe she had hold out for so long. Now with Sasuke gone, it was as if her body knew and allowed itself to rest. The light around her dimmed and the blackness engulfed her sight.

Then, she went unconscious.

* * *

The pearl eyed ninja let out an aggravated sound before he slammed his right fist into the wall, creating a large crack in the wall.

_Control yourself_, he tried to tell himself as he closed his eyes and lowered his hand from the wall. He felt a jolt of pain in the area where Sasuke had hit him earlier but he ignored it. He did not mean to hurt Sakura, that was the last thing he intended. But there was a frustration he could not describe that had overpowered his senses and instead led him to punch the kunoichi in the stomach.

Tsunade, Naruto and Kakashi had left moments ago, carrying with them the limp body of Haruno Sakura. Naruto had come running in, expecting to see his old comrade and rival. Unlike Sakura who had embraced his return, Naruto was angry and his sky blue eyes were lit with a passionate fury. Neji did not have to look closely to see that the blonde was filled with grudges for the Uchiha. His eyes screamed betrayal. However, as angry and resentful as he was, Naruto still cared for the revenge driven ninja.

Tsunade had walked in hurriedly as well, yelling out the Uchiha's name repeatedly only to be drowned out by Naruto. Her blonde hair was tangled and it was obvious that she had quickly made her way to Sakura's apartment the minute she heard the news.

On the other hand, Kakashi had entered the apartment calmly while his lazy eyes slowly glanced around the room, first at Neji, then on the fallen kunoichi.

"Not here I see," was all the silver-haired man said before bending down and lifting Sakura up effortlessly. Naruto had looked at Sakura, touched her dirtied cheek, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Now that they had left and Neji had reported all that had happened to the Godaime, he began to let his emotions run loose. Never did he let his emotions show on his face, but the moment he sensed Sasuke in the room, he had grown angry and before he knew it, he was fighting Sakura. He remembered thinking, _anything to get to the damn Uchiha._

Surprisingly, the Uchiha had gained back his sight and this had shocked Neji to the point where he had foolishly turned immobile. It was hard to accept this reality because only half a day ago, when he had seen Sasuke, his Byukagen had shown him that there were absolutely no connection that could give life back into those sightless eyes. It was like they were ripped away and detached from the rest of the body.

"Sakura," he whispered anda feeling of remorse filled his chestas he said her name. There was no going back.

* * *

Tsunade was sitting at her desk, racking her mind to find a solution when the source of her trouble appeared suddenly at her window. The blonde sannin stood up abruptly and immediately tried to attack the dark haired ninja. To her surprised, when she reached him, she discovered that it wasn't him, but a substitute that was now melting into dark clumps of mud.

"Shit," Tsunade cursed. Her eyes widened as she felt the Uchiha breath against the back of her neck. She ducked and spun around in attempt to hit him with her power driven strength. But he was fast, much faster then she has ever imagined he could be. She looked about to find him standing a fair distance from her, still not attacking her.

He was only dodging, so she concluded thathe did not want to attack her but instead came for another purpose.

"What do you want, missing nin of Konoha?" Tsunade hissed, her glimmering eyes searched his face for any clues but found none.

"I came to talk about Sakura, and I will not take no as an answer."

"What makes you think you can change anything?

Sakura is being trialed tomorrow night for betraying her village, for a bastard like you."

"Well, after hearing my proposal, I'm sure you will disagree."

* * *

When he came, it was her second night in prison. It wasn't actually a prison, for that he was glad. The first time he was in one, his mind had almost gone crazy from the silence and eerie atmosphere. The food given could not be called food. It was a mix of water and raw rice that was left out in the sun so that insects of all kinds nested inside. When he was put in a prison with others, it was even worse. The other criminals would provoke him and the older prisoners would attack him relentlessly. After years of working under Orochimaru, he was still not used to it, but he could withstand it a lot more than in his earlier years.

Of course, Tsunade would never place her beloved student in those kinds of prisons. Still, that was the only image he had of prisons. But now as he looked at the beige walls and empty-ness of the room, he knew that Sakura was safe from being tortured mentally or physically.

Even as he walked in, she had not noticed. Her eyes were dull and she seemed so distressed and worried he himself felt an unwanted feeling of emptiness.

It was the first time he has seen Sakura since the day he left for Konoha. In his blindness, he always imagined her with what he knew were her basic traits; short pink hair, green eyes, and a smile that was often accompanied with tears. In reality, she has changed so much more from that image he had in his mind. After years of staying with the snake sannin, his memories of her failed him, and he forgot about her real self. Instead he forced himself to believe that she was weak and worthless, to believe that all of Konoha was pitifully purposeless.

But the recent events have reminded him who she truly was. She was an admirable ninja. Her unwavering faith and love for him had moved him many times. He had tried to hide it so many times, but two days ago, it was inevitable.

"Sakura," he finally spoke. Forest-green eyes looked up shockingly and she stared at him for the longest time, as if not believing he was in front of her and staring back at her.

He could tell she was happy to see him, to see that he had his sight back, and that he was healthy. She was like an open book for him but he did not mind. She was not like this for anyone else.

"Sasuke…" her voice was raspy and hededucted thatshe had not spoken for a long time. She stood up, and quietly walked to him so that she was inches from him. Still, she did not hug him, or wrap her arms around him and he did not expect that either. It was his turn. So he embraced her, pressing her tightly against his chest and breathed in her scent as he did so.

Lifting her face up by her chin, he looked at her silently, always never speaking, before kissing her softly on the lips. Up close, she was more surreal to him and something told him that this was what she needed the most right now. He also couldn't help but feela sudden need to comfort her, to protect her. And so he kissed her gently, as gently as he could, only stopping to breath.He nibbled on her upper lip, then her bottom,and then kissedthe lips in all of itsentirity.He heard her gasp almost feverishly and she began crying but still saying nothing. He continues softly kissing her anyway, not knowing what was possessing him to do so. After awhile, they broke off slowly and he could feel her breath caress his nose. His hand reached upwards to cup her soft cheek, and his thumb wiped away her falling tears. Her hands slowly and shakily went up his chest then around his neck. 

She deserved someone much better than him, but he couldn't help but want to keep her to himself.

"Why are you here?" She asks, her tears still flowing down her cheeks.

He only looks at her, as he couldn't help doing. His gaze makes her blush and she looked away, still crying.

"I'm being so weak..." she says apologetically. He does not respond for awhile, instead he embraces her once more and savoured the feel of holding her in his arms. He felt extremely calm, and he continued to observe her. He knew that his decision was right. For once in his life, he has made the right decision. She deserves happiness.

"You're being released, Sakura. You are no longer called a betrayer of Konoha for helping me," he finally says after she looks at him with inquiring and teary eyes.

"What about you?" Always so selfless.

"I'll be fine," and his answer worries her.

* * *

Had exams, stress, and everything. Here is the long awaited chapter. Fluffy yes? Ending should be next chapter or if I'm lazy, the one after that. Wrapping it up would be quite a challenge so please bare with my lack of updates. Anybody OC please tell me.

BTW, i had this finished 4 days ago, but somehow I couldn't upload it to Weird huh?

-Pp.


	12. Chapter 12

_Sasuke,_ Sakura thought, her heart racing

She had to repeatedly remind herself to remain calm as she walked rigidly through the prison's tunnel, a guard by her side. The month of imprisonment felt like an infinity to her, and it only worsened when Sasuke appeared on her second night to announce that he had convinced Tsunade to release her. It was obvious he had made  
a sacrificial agreement with the Hokage, Sakura was not dumb, yet when he left her cell, he had left calmly and the guards treated him like any other visitor.

It was downright frustrating to be left in the dark, with only intuition to guide her. Over the long days, Sakura concluded that the most reasonable offer Sasuke could have made was to offer his life in exchange for her freedom. With this conclusion in mind, the days almost drove her to the brink of insanity.

The sunlight blinded her eyes as Sakura walked tentatively out of the building and into the open air.  
The fresh smell of nature hit her hard and she inhaled it gratefully. Although Sasuke told her that she was going to be released,  
it took Tsunade a full month to convince the elders to let her free. Tsunade had visited her a few times, although only briefly, to update Sakura on  
her release date. No matter how many times Sakura asked, Tsunade wouldn't tell her what Sasuke had promised to the hokage in exchange for her freedom.  
Over the weeks, Sakura's anxiety deepened to the point where she thought she would explode.

Now, as the guard was detaching the tag on her wrist, Sakura looked around her surroundings. Konoha looked the same, nostalgically familiar. She nodded to the guard,  
a forced smiled plastered on her face, before she made her way slowly to her house. Expecting the guard to follow her, she kept her pace forcefully slow throughout  
the whole way.

To her surprise, when she discreetly turned to check how far away the guard was, she realized that he had not followed her at all. _Why wasn't the guard following her_?

She was sure that Tsunade would order the guard to tail her to make sure that she did not try to find out where Sasuke was kept and free him. Nothing made sense. Why  
was Sasuke able enter and leave her prisonement so easily? Why was there no one around to make sure that Sakura behaved and not do anything rash to save Sasuke?

Sakura turned on her heels and dashed to the Hokage tower. When she got there, there were guards outside the Hokage's office, which was unusual as Konoha was always so peaceful Tsunade rarely had anyone guard her door, let alone more than one. _Come to think of it, there were guards all over the tower._

"I need to see the Hokage, I'm Haruno Sakura, her apprentice." Sakura said the words formally and quickly.

One of the guards stepped up, most probably the one in charge of all four guards, and looked at her sympathetically.

"I know who you are. You cannot visit the Hokage right now, shes extremely busy and does not want to be disturbed."

"Its urgent! I need to see her now!" Sakura could no longer hide her exasperation.

The guards looked at each other uncomfortably, though the one who talked to her remained calm.

"I'm sorry, Haruno-san. I cannot let you pass." The guards behind him straightened and stand more firmly at his words.

"Please don't make me do something I'd regret," Sakura warned, her voice growing hard. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and before she could react, she felt familiar quick taps all over her body. Spinning around, Sakura found herself facing a flustered Hinata.

"I'm really sorry, Sakura-san. Hokage's orders."

Frustration coursed through her body like a rough current nearing the end of a river, the point at which there is a waterfall. Anger made her fists clench tightly, her knuckles whitening, and tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Hinata! Undo these chakra blockages now! Undo them, undo them!" Her voice was shrill. Sasuke could be dying right now, and she still had no idea where he could be or what was happening to him. How could her dearest people do this to her? How could they keep her away from Sasuke?

The pale-eyed girl looked at her sadly until, as if she could not take it anymore, she disappeared silently. Sakura turned to the guards and found them still standing there, though none were looking at her in the eye.

-----------------

"Naruto!" Sakura bursted open the door to Naruto's apartment, only to find it empty. Where was he? Naruto would know. Sakura was sure that if anyone, Naruto would know the situation and tell her. He understands her, he always did

Sakura's eyes scanned around the room, looking for anything that might indicate where Naruto was. She spotted random plastic cups and chopsticks on the floor, spoiled milk on the table, a pile of dirty clothes and a bag of weapons but nothing that showed her where he was. She kept searching for clues for the next few minutes but to no avail.

"Training ground! He must be there." Sakura told herself outloud.

She had never travelled so fast in her life. In all the rough missions shes gone through, Sakura was sure she has never run so fast in her life. Not even when she knew her life was on the line. It didn't matter that Hinata had blocked all the major chakra channels in her, Sakura was still a good athelete, she could still run as fast. Her heart was pounding against her chest, deafening her ears, as if they weren't already deaf from the roaring of the wind her fast running was causing. It has only been an hour since shes left the penitentiary and she has already gone through a third of the village and most of the training grounds yet there was still no sign of Naruto.

The rest of the villagers were only a blur as she traveled from the marketplace to the northern plains. Her hair, which has grown long now, moved roughly against the wind and Sakura tied it up messily with growing anxiety.

"Sasuke, I'll find you. I'll save you, no matter what it takes."

Just when she was about to increase her already heightned speed, someone caught her by the shoulder, almost making her fall as a result. Sakura took a moment to recognize who it was.

"Ino!" The blonde stared at her, panting.

"Sakura, calm yourself. I was going to come get you at the penitentiary but they said you were already released so I went back to the flower shop, hoping you'd look for me there. Instead, I see you dashing like a mad woman past my shop," here the kunoichi stopped to observe Sakura properly," Look at you, you're a wreck! What did they do to you in there?"

"Where's Sasuke? What have they done to him, what was the agreement?" Sakura asked desperately. Ino's concerned look deepened.

"I'm sorry Sakura, I don't know. I tried to find out myself, but I couldn't find out anything. All I know is he has already been trialed the same day he visited you and that he's received the death penalty. I don't know when or where though."

Ino was holding things back, Sakura could tell. Ino wasn't looking at Sakura as she said all this, but Sakura was still grateful. At least her theory was confirmed, Sasuke was to be killed. Sakura had secretely hoped that she was wrong and that they would make him work for the community for a number of years without access to chakra. Obviously, she had not been realistic enough.

"Stop looking so bewildered, Sakura," with a softer voice, Ino added, "he betrayed us all, he betrayed you. He has killed so many people..."

Before Ino could finish her sentence, Sakura was off running to her original destination, the plains.

-------------

Sakura felt a small sense of relief when she found Naruto throwing kunais at a target pole. There were craters everywhere, the place looked horrible beaten and had Sakura been in a calmer state of mind, she would have felt bad for the training ground and scolded Naruto for being so careless with nature. However, her anxiety was at its limits now, and there was only one thing on her mind; finding Sasuke.

"Naruto!" Her yell was weak from lack of oxygen. She stood there panting for air, both her hands resting on her thighs for support. Naruto looked extremely angry, and possibly just as frustrated as she was.

"Sakura." Naruto turned to her in surprised, his red eyes reverted back to blue and his anger faded. Noting her horrible state, his expression grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Whats _wrong_?" Sakura asked, her eyes widening with shock. _How could he be this way too? "_They're going to kill Sasuke any moment now and you ask me what's wrong? How can you just be standing there, training as if nothing is wrong? You weren't at the Hokage tower like I thought you'd be. Then I thought you might be at home, planning some kind of strategy to help Sasuke. When you weren't there, I figured you'd be at the training grounds..." Her voice trailed off, her energy was draining. Why did she have to be so weak?

The blonde boy stared at her for a few minutes before his face suddenly changed from confused to anger, the anger that equaled the one Sakura saw when he first arrived.

"Sakura, I had no idea! I woke up in the hospital a few weeks ago without any memory of the last few months. When I asked them, the nurses told me that I got horribly injured from a dangerous mission and that I was found unconcious along with my teammates once I got to Konoha's gates."

Naruto paused here to calm himself down in order to continue." They said I might've lost some memory due to the horrible impact that had landed on my head. I would feel frustrated now and then but they told me it was one of the side effects of the shots they gave me while I was still at the hospital..."

"So they lied to you..." Sakura began.

"...to make sure I wouldn't team up with you and try and save Sasuke," Naruto ended. "Why aren't there ninjas that make sure we don't meet?"

"All of them are located at the Hokage Tower to make sure that I don't see Tsunade. Tsunade knows that if she sees me, she'll end up telling me. The rest are properly with Sasuke."

"Sakura, I don't get it what happened? When did Sasuke come back? How did you find out about all this when you were supposed to be on a mission?"

Sakura sighed in exasperation. "They lied about that too, I've been imprisoned for a month now. I'll tell you on the way, we have to go find others who will help us find Sasuke."

-------------------

It was useless. They've looked everywhere for any sign of Sasuke. They've asked all of the rookie nine except for the few that they could not find due to missions. They've asked Kakashi as well. Everyone they could think of, but nobody would tell them anything. Sakura hasn't found out anymore than what Ino had already told her either. The pitying looks people gave her, it pissed Sakura to no end. Naruto wasn't any more well off than she was, if possibly, he was even more hurt and angry than she was. He had been lied to whereas Sakura hadn't. Naruto was gone to search again while Sakura rested beside a tree near the ramen shop, the energy that fueled her since morning was now gone.

It was night time already. The sun was out a long time ago, and the air was starting to get chilly. The stars were numorous and they shone in all their glory, as if mocking Sakura for her despair while they enjoyed their dark night. There were no clouds, only a clear starry sky with a half moon, and that only depressed Sakura even further as she sat there observing the sky. The night brought nostalgic feelings to Sakura, though she couldn't exactly understand why. _It feels like a part of me is missing, being tortured and isolated. A part of me is all alone. He's all alone._

The tears that she had been holding back all day were now pushing their way out until she soon found herself crying silently, the droplets pouring down her cheeks. Sakura curled up into tight ball with her heard resting on her knees while she rocked back and forth to comfort herself.

Sakura was still in that position when suddenly she heard footsteps running quickly towards her.

"Sakura! Sakura! I've found out where Sasuke is!" Naruto cried out.

Her heart sped up at the mention of his name and she was on her feet within a second. Wordlessly she wiped her tears and nodded to him to lead the way. While they were running, Sakura managed to find her voice once more and asked, "How did you find out?"

There was a slight pause. "I can't tell you."

"Naruto..."

"Dammit, he's going to kill me once he finds out that I told you even though I promised I wouldn't."

"Who was it that told you?" Sakura asked calmly but curiously. All that crying had calmed her down alot, and now she found her mind much sharper than before.

"Neji."

--------------

"I hope its not too late," Sakura said softly, her pessimistic side dominating her more than ever now.

"No! We're not late, Neji said they're doing it at midnight," Naruto answered right away.

Sakura was about to ask why midnight when she stopped herself in realization. At this exact time, on this exact same day, Sasuke left Konoha to join forces with Orochimaru. They could not get any crueler, Sakura thought darkly.

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts when Naruto came to a stop and she realized where she was. The Hokage Tower. Why were they there?

Naruto stood tensed, "Sakura, this is where you come in."

"What..?" Sakura was more confused than ever. They couldn't possibly have Sasuke in the tower. She's been in and out of the tower for years now, all the rooms were offices,

there were no places to keep a missing nin, let alone to execute him.

"Inside the Hokage's office, underneath the desk, theres a black button on the far right side. Press it and you'll see that there's stairs that lead to an underground pathway. I'll distract the guards."

"Thats why it was so heavily guarded. Not because Tsunade didn't want to see me, it was because that was where they hid Sasuke," Sakura said in realization.

"Sakura, hurry, we don't have time. They're executing him in half an hour!" Naruto urged.

Sakura's eyes widened before she nodded to Naruto with a determined look in her eyes. Naruto nodded back to her and in a flash, they were both running up the Hokage stairs, Naruto fighting every guard off effortlessly, his kyubi powers strengthening his already remarkable powers. Sakura rarely found herself having to fight off anyone and she took this to her advantage as she increased her speed up the tower.

With all the guards occupied with Naruto, Sakura managed to get into Tsunade's office and following Naruto's instructions, she quickly found the button that allowed her to open the hidden staircase. Rushing down the stairs, her heart was pumped with anxiety once more, the calmness now completely replaced with the same feeling of nervousness she had all day. The further down the stairs she ran, the more her heart pounded until she could no longer hear her heavy panting and she wished her chakra channels were so blocked. Her endurance was already low as it was.

"Sasuke... please be alright." Sakura chanted this over and over again until finally she found herself at the bottom of the stairs and facing a large room. Standing there with a bewildered look, Sakura spotted Sasuke right away. His hands were tied and he was on his knees with two Anbus on his side, each with a kunai pointed at him to make sure he could not escape. Sasuke's head was drooped low and Sakura concluded that he must have been drugged. The whole group of elders were standing around Sasuke in a dense circle while Tsunade stood closest to a dark figure. When the figure moved out into the light, Sakura realized it was her genin teacher, Kakashi. Kakashi was now standing in front of Sasuke with a solemn expression and even from where she was standing, Sakura could see that her teacher's eyes were in great pain. Kakashi had his right hand pulled back and Sakura knew instantly what was going to happen. Kakashi was to perform chidori on Sasuke.

"Stop!" Sakura yelled out as she ran towards Sasuke, pushing past the shocked Elders.

Tsunade and Kakashi looked at her with surprise written all over her face. Seeing Sakura, Kakashi's expression turned slightly relieved but then it was quickly gone when one of the elders screamed.

"Now!" cried the Elder. "Kill him, Kakashi, before its too late!"

"No! Stop! Sensei!" Sakura begged as she rushed towards Sasuke, fighting off the Elders' attempts of stopping her.

Kakashi closed his eyes before he ignited the chidori in his hand and within seconds, the loud chirping noise of the attack echoed throughout the whole underground room.

The only two Anbus in the room that were next to Sasuke disappeared and reappeared beside Sakura, pinning her down to the ground.

"Sorry, Sakura." Sakura recognized the voice but in her despair she couldn't place who it was, nor did she care.

"Stop! Please!" Sakura cried out in agony, her body struggling to get up despite the firm grip the two Anbu had on her.

"Sakura, make this easier for all of us, stop." The voice was sad, and came from the other Anbu.

By now, Sasuke's head was raised to look in Sakura's direction and his face, unlike the others, did not seem shocked. Instead, Sasuke looked at her with a calm expression, and then he smiled as if to reassure her before he looked in front of him to face his former sensei. Sakura stared in horror as Kakashi reopened his eyes and then in one sweep, his arm thrusted deep into Sasuke's stomach. There was a blinding blue light and then a second later, it was gone and Kakashi removed his hand from Sasuke's bleeding body.

Sasuke's cry was louder than that of the chidori.

"Sasuke!!!" Sakura shrieked desperately, her body suddenly gaining strenght and as soon as she felt the Anbu's slow release, she shot up to catch Sasuke's falling body.

"Sasuke! Wake up, Sasuke! Sasuke! Please don't die on me. Please!" Sakura begged, her words now undistinguishable as they resembled sobs and high pitched cries. The pain that had been present in her heart ever since the day she realized that Sasuke was going to sacrifice himself for her increased exponentially. Her heart felt like it was torn into a million pieces as she sat there, hugging Sasuke's limp body tightly. She embraced his body tightly rocking back and forth, her wails echoing throughout the now half empty room.

The elders have mostly all left. Tsunade had wanted to comfort her but the two Anbu held her back while nodding to the staircase. Kakashi stood there next to Sakura, his quiet presence remained unknown to the sorrowful kunoichi until he placed a hand on her shoulder.

At this, the pink haired kunoichi spun around,her face distorted into pure anger. "Kakashi! How could you! To your own student!" Her voice was piercing, and even she was surprised with herself. Kakashi winced when he realized that she didn't add the sensei suffix but then his expression turned calm once more and he looked at her with sad eyes. Sakura scolded herself. She shouldn't take it out on Kakashi. It was obvious that it hurted him and that he was forced into it by the elders.

"I'm sorry... I just..." Sakura began, her words hardly audible before she began crying once more. Soon, she found her face pressed firmly against Kakashi's chest and strong arms wrapped around her shaking body.

One of his hands rubbed her back in attempt to comfort her while his sad eyes glanced at the fallen body of his former student.

"It felt like I was killing myself." Kakashi said softly.

Sakura's cries were louder now, and she pressed her face even more firmly against Kakashi, as if doing so would take the pain of her loss away. Despite her state, what Kakashi said sunk into her clearly. She remembers now, how Kakashi had told her that Sasuke and he was alike. That Sasuke was like a younger version of himself, and that Kakashi had told himself that he would take on the responsibility of guiding Sasuke properly. Sakura knew that Kakashi was now blaming himself.

"Its not your fault Kakashi, please forgive what I've said earlier." Her crying had stopped but she was still shaking.

"Its not anyone's fault." Her old sensei replied gingerly as he thinks to himself. He continues to hold his young student in his arms until she slowly loses conciousness. He lifts her up and begins to walk towards the stairs. He knows that what he had just witnessed from her that night, was the core of her being, what was within her shell.

A fragile heart.

It was raining. Sakura awoke but her eyes were still closed. She didn't want to open them. It was as if she opened them, she had to deal with all that has happened, and she doesn't think shes ready. Its been a week, and each day she awoke with the same feeling. Eventually, she forced herself out of bed and went into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. When got there she saw a small note reading:

**The funeral's today, in front of the Remembrance Stone at 2 pm. **

**I've also had Hinata reopen your chakra channels.**

**-Kakashi**

Sakura stared at the paper awhile, her eyes dull and her mind working slowly to register the message. When she understood, she sat back down on a chair.

_I don't want to go._

Suddenly, there was loud tapping on her window. At first she ignored it, but as the noise continued persistently, she glanced up to see a sparrow with a white message clamped in one of its feet.

Slowly, she approached the window and opened it. The sparrow flew in gracefully and landed on the table. Sakura reached to its feet and opened the message. Her eyes widened and at first she stared at it disbelievingly. But when a flash of Sasuke's reassuring expression appeared in her mind, her eyes widened even further.

Within seconds, she was gone and the paper fell slowly to floor.

**"Go to where we've first fought each other."**

She didn't question the possibilty. Sakura didn't care if it didn't make sense. She just knew, she just knew that it was him. That he was alive. That he was waiting for her. But why there? Why there out of all the places?

It took her two whole days to get there. It was a good thing that Kakashi had Hinata reopen her chakra channels while she was unconcious. She wouldn't have been able to endure the long trip otherwise. She landed softly on a branch and looked around at the empty area. This is the place. She saw his kunai marks all over the trees, the markings of their fight was still visible. _I can't sense him_, Sakura thought worriedly. Did she get it wrong? Maybe someone else fought in this area. Maybe it was some sort of cruel prank.

"Sasuke?" Sakura dropped to the ground and began walking around, looking for any trace of him. "Sasuke, are you here?" Her heart began beating, anxiety taking her full force once more. She hated how the feeling was so familiar.

"Sasuke?" Her voice was higher pitched now.

"Where are you, Sasuke?" Her eyes were wide now, she found her legs growing weak. Maybe he wasn't alive afterall. She was so stupid, to believe in something like that.

"Sakura." She spun around only to bump right into something hard. Sakura looked up to see Sasuke's face grinning at her. His hair was dark like always, his hair dishiveled and his face as beautiful as ever. He was alive.

"Sasuke-kun..." Her voice was weak and soft and she buried her face into his chest and he wraps his arm around her securely. Unlike Kakashi's fatherly embrace, Sasuke's was filled with passion and longing. Sakura felt the relief in her heart. The hole disappeared as it began filling up quickly until she soon found herself giddy with joy.

Sasuke was the first to break the embrace, although hesistantly. He looked at her with a soft expression. His intense gaze made her blush.

"I could barely recognize you."

Sakura looked at him with a strange sense of happy annoyance. He chuckles and her heart sped up, but this time, with happiness. She's never heard him laugh before. He bends his face to kiss her. The passion traveled through her body like a wave. Her once weak body felt stronger now, as if his kiss gave her back all the strenght that she's lost recently. The warmth started from the bottom of her feet to her chest and flowered there, in her heart.

"Sasuke..." she moaned as he nibbled her bottom lip. He ended the kiss too soon, she thought as she tried to savour the dizziness she was feeling.

"You've grown thin." Sasuke insists but Sakura ignored his question.

"How are you alive, Sasuke? I was there, I saw it when Kakashi..." her voice trailed off, trembling once more. She hugs him tightly, as if to make sure he was there with her and that this moment was real.

"I performed a replacement technique at the last minute. Its a forbidden jutsu that Orochimaru taught me. Its like the one we learned at the academy except we replace with people."

"How did the elders not notice?" Sakura asked, confused. He kisses her lips.

"The blinding light you saw, I created that with my chakra. I had summoned a snake and transferred the needed amount of chakra into it before I came to visit you. Then when they robbed me of any remaining chakra, I had the snake follow me. When it was time for the execution, it was to slide in quickly and restore my chakra reserves before I'm hit with the chidori blow. At that moment, I would create a blinding light by summoning my chidori. Since I knew that they would ask Kakashi to kill me with his chidori, it was perferct, nobody heard mine."

Sasuke rests his chin on Sakura's head and their hands interlocked. He breathes in her scent and he pauses for awhile before continuing.

"That was when I chose the elder nearest to me and performed the jutsu. Once I was replaced, I made sure that I've henged to match the elder."

"If you've known this jutsu all along, couldn't you have used this many times before for your fights?"

"Its forbidden for a reason, Sakura. This jutsu takes alot of preparation. You have to kill a minimum of thirty people as sacrifices exactly a month before."

Sakura tightened her hold on Sasuke's hand. "What if it was after a month?"

"Then the jutsu would have been useless," Sasuke replied with ease. The he added, "I had confidence in my abilities and tactics."

There was a silence.

"That was foolish." Sakura replied, imitating his deep voice. He chuckles again.

"All for you."

"What do you mean?" Sakura sensed he had more meaning behind what he just said.

"Remember how I told you nobody deserved you?" Realization dawned on Sakura. Sakura snorted, her shoulders were now completely relaxed and she felt like she was in a dream.

"Sasuke, I've loved you ever since I was twelve."

"Thats why I took the gamble. You were worth it."

"One last thing." Sakura looked at Sasuke, her fingers traced his jawline and he closes his eyes with pleasure.

"Care to explain to me why you wanted to meet me here, out of all places?" At this, Sasuke opens his eyes, and Sakura was surprised to find them twinkle with mischief.

"Sakura, I thought you were brighter than that." When Sakura continued to look at him dumbly, he sighs, something Sakura remembers he once did alot back in their genin days when she said something that was stupid to him.

"What did we do after we fought and you almost killed me?"

"..." At first her face was still and contemplating but then, she remembered.

Sasuke never forgot that slap.

I'm sorry for the one year delay. I know, a thousand apologies would be enough but I hope the chapter made up for most of it. I spent alot of time on this chapter. The reason for my delay was because of school and life in general. Then, when I wanted to write the chapter I realized that I lost my outline sheet during my moving. Having not written for so long, I completely forgot my ending. So it took awhile for me to formulate another ending. I still dont remember my original ending.

Thanks alot for those who stuck with me even though I stopped updating for a year. Again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wrote this nonstop for 6 hours. Better be happy ) As always, please review!

ps. my new account would be aolia. I want a fresh new start for my writing as most of my writing on this account are wayy to old and I'm slightly embarassed. As of now, I haven't posted any fics on aolia yet but they would be coming soon. Much love to all of you!


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